Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded a Project Grant of $777,176 to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242), effective August 1, 2026, through April 30, 2031. This research initiative develops and evaluates a family-based risk reduction intervention for children aged 9–18 who carry significant genetic and environmental risk factors for Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD) but remain clinically asymptomatic. The project addresses a critical gap in prevention science by targeting at-risk children before they reach the clinical high-risk stage, where psychosis conversion rates remain problematically high despite intensive intervention efforts.

The study delivers a randomized controlled trial comparing family-based risk reduction therapy against active control therapy, with participants undergoing brain MRI and comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological assessments at baseline, after 16 weeks of intervention, and 16 weeks post-intervention. The primary deliverable is evidence regarding whether the proposed brain imaging biomarker normalizes following targeted risk mitigation, with secondary deliverables including data on the efficacy of integrated, evidence-based interventions addressing modifiable SSD risk factors in the pediatric population. This research directly supports NIMH's mission to transform understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research.