# Identifying Imaging Biomarkers of Schizophrenia-Risk in Kenya

> **NIH NIH R21** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $333,614

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Early treatment of schizophrenia (SZ) is linked to better outcomes, and accurately identifying individuals before
illness onset holds promise for prevention. This is especially relevant in sub-Saharan Africa, where financial and
health care resources for managing psychotic disorders are extremely limited. Our current proposal aims to
introduce cutting-edge psychiatric neuroimaging research to Kenya, and involves multi-modal imaging in
adolescents and young adults at clinical high risk (CHR) of developing SZ and other psychotic disorders.
Assessing clinical risk symptoms in youth has significantly advanced the possibility of indicated prevention of a
full-blown psychotic disorder. Through our previous work, we pioneered prodromal behavioral assessments in
Africa, and remain the only group in the continent actively investigating this risk population. Our existing studies
in Kenya have suggested some behavioral phenotypes may help better identify those individuals who would
transition to SZ. Studies in developing countries have also identified potential neuroimaging predictors of
psychosis progression, but such studies have not been previously conducted in African populations. In the United
States, our group has had longstanding experience with image analyses involving brain structure and
connectivity in SZ and other groups. In the current study, we will use our Washington University Human
Connectome Project processing pipeline on imaging data to provide a unique opportunity to characterize the
pathological substrates of early psychosis in a racially homogenous African cohort. Building on our existing
collaborations, our proposal pioneers a new psychiatric research modality in Kenya and builds capacity for future
neuroimaging studies in the country (Aim 1). We will study brain morphometry, as well as structural and
functional connectivity in CHR and healthy control groups (Aim 2). Additionally, we will investigate the
longitudinal stability of brain findings and potential predictors of clinical change (Aim 3). This would expand our
understanding of brain neurobiology in psychotic disorders, paving the path for translation of this knowledge to
indicated prevention. Our proposal pioneers a new psychiatric research modality in Kenya, and builds capacity
for future neuroimaging studies in the country.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10054014
- **Project number:** 1R21MH124060-01
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** DANIEL MAMAH
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $333,614
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10054014

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10054014, Identifying Imaging Biomarkers of Schizophrenia-Risk in Kenya (1R21MH124060-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10054014. Licensed CC0.

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