# Kynurenic Acid and Cognitive Abnormalities in Schizophrenia

> **NIH NIH P50** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2021 · $2,858,545

## Abstract

The Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC) is a University of Maryland School of Medicine program located
on the Spring Grove Hospital campus. From the beginning in 1977, basic and clinical scientists share interest in
severe mental illness, translational science and independent and collaborative research. The shared mission and
facilities provide an intimacy and focus that has resulted in extensive P50 center support over the past 35 years.
This Introduction will focus on the first four years of the Conte Center and the proposed renewal for Years 6-10.
Apart from the main substance of this Introduction, we note with pride several special activities and considerations:
• Eight pilot projects supported by Conte and MPRC funds enabled 7 early career scientists to engage in
 science relevant to the hypothesis. The work produced "spin-off" grant applications, and each of the
 scientists is now funded [6 NIH and one NARSAD];
• The Summer Student Program was a heartwarming success with hundreds of applicants for six slots per
 year, with geographic, sex and cultural diversity and all completing and presenting projects, clinical and
basic.
• The MPRC embraces the Conte Center, and the individuals charged with leadership and authority at the
 MPRC are also Conte investigators.
• One of the initial projects resulted in hypothesis falsification. While disappointing, it produced a novel finding
 and new conception and is being carried forward in a R01 framework.
• The transition to the proposed renewal constitutes a shift to mechanism and the potential to facilitate rational
 therapeutic discovery.
• The proposed projects continue testing the fundamental hypothesis in the context of schizophrenia since this
 is the source of data to date. It involves deconstructing the clinical syndrome with a focus on impaired
 cognition. Knowledge gained is likely to be relevant to cognition pathology in a number of mental disorders.
 Given the relevance to neurodevelopment and long-term functioning, impaired cognition may be the field's
 most important challenge from both a neuroscience and a public health perspective.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10218007
- **Project number:** 5P50MH103222-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT SCHWARCZ
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $2,858,545
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-05-09 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10218007

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10218007, Kynurenic Acid and Cognitive Abnormalities in Schizophrenia (5P50MH103222-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10218007. Licensed CC0.

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