The mission of the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) is to be a worldwide organization that aims to bring together researchers and clinicians in schizophrenia and related disorders.
SIRS membership provides the opportunity to join and network with fellow scientists from around the world to exchange the latest advances in biological and psychosocial research in schizophrenia. Your SIRS membership benefits your career as well as your profession — an invaluable investment in your future. Join the recognized leader in promoting schizophrenia research.
SIRS is committed to providing a forum for the exchange of scientific information, which is critical for the advancement and translation of scientific discovery in schizophrenia and related disorders. SIRS provides the opportunity to stay current on the latest in schizophrenia research through our partnerships with Schizophrenia (SIRS official journal), Schizophrenia Bulletin and Schizophrenia Research.
In order to further our mission of bringing together researchers in schizophrenia and related disorders, philanthropic gifts are needed to positively impact the field through research and clinical application. All gifts are important whether $50, $200, $2,000 or any size - they all are meaningful and needed to fuel the continued growth, development and advancement of schizophrenia research.
Listen as SIRS Secretary, Paola Dazzan, chats with Gemma Modinos about the value of SIRS membership. Be sure to watch what other SIRS members are saying about their experience with the society.
Kia Crittenden
United States
Jakob Kaminski
Germany
Lebogang Phahladira
South Africa
Eric Tan
Australia
Sebastian Walther
Germany
Alia Warner
United States
Over more than 30 years, I have been involved in studying the genetic background of schizophrenia. My undergraduate training background is in pharmaceutical chemistry. In 1989, I was offered a PhD scholarship in a lab in Munich, Germany, with a focus to build up genetic analyses in families with schizophrenia. The idea, which actually hasn’t changed that much since then, was to identify altered genes which then can be used for developing novel treatments, targeting the real causes of schizophrenia.
The decision, to join this lab challenged my previous discipline focussed understanding of academic research. Early on, I realized that discussion with psychiatrists, psychologists, statisticians, geneticists, counsellors, social workers, and many other disciplines, which I have not even thought of, can only happen in a meaningful way, when one actively engages with their views on the research. Since the field was only starting to building up momentum, there were not many societies around which would help with this cross-disciplinary development. Some winter workshops were available, which I would count as precursor to what then finally developed into the Schizophrenia International Research Society in 2005. I joined the Society in 2008, presenting in a debate forum at the first Schizophrenia International Research Society Conference. I believe that the Society has provided a home for my desire to engage more broadly with related disciplines. In contrast to other, genetically focussed meetings, I enjoy the breadth and depth of knowledge, which is disseminated during their meetings. I enjoy the discussions, which happened not only during poster sessions, but also during panel discussions and workshops. Retrospectively, I have to say that the breadth and interdisciplinary nature of these conferences, the opportunity to being inspired by achievements out of my initial focus, more recently the educational resources and online resources available, embraces the value of being a member of this society. This is also the reason, why I happily decided to support the Society’s endeavours in joining the International Advisory Board Committee, being involved with the travel awards selection committees (even these generally happen to be around Christmas) and more recently, being a member of the Membership Committee, which I am now chairing since 2020. Having had the opportunity to see this Society grow since its inception, I feel honoured to be connected and involved with such a varied, diverse and vibrant community. The only thing which I miss was that the Society was not yet available, when I started my journey in schizophrenia genetics when starting my PhD.