Introduction

Your brain has 100 billion nerve cells. With such complexity it's
no wonder no-one has solved the problem of schizophrenia. Only by getting a full picture of the brain will we get close. And we're about to get closer.

The Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank is a nationwide collaboration of scientists looking for thousands of volunteers to help unlock the mystery of schizophrenia.

But we can't do it without your help

Schizophrenia involves alterations in brain structure and function. Research suggests that schizophrenia may be a developmental disorder resulting from alterations in the maturation of the nervous system.

In Australia, approximately 1 in 100 people have or will develop schizophrenia during their lifetime and it is usually life-long. Rates of schizophrenia are very similar from country to country but with small regional variations.

The initial task of the Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank is to recruit 2,000 people with schizophrenia and 2,000 healthy controls, and to record their medical and family histories, genetic profiles, and where possible a brain scan. Participants are also able to volunteer to be contacted for future research projects.

All this information will then be cross-referenced so that researchers in Australia and overseas are better able to identify the origins of the illness, and the means for early detection, prevention and cure.

Be a part of a world-changing research effort

The Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank is the biggest research program of its type ever undertaken in Australia. The volunteers who participate in this project will be key contributors to a research resource which may provide researchers with a unique breakthrough.