SIRS Awards the 2020 Research Fund Award
The Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) has awarded its second ever Research Fund Award to to Dr. Leandro Valiengo from Sao Paolo, Brazil. The funds will enable Dr. Valiengo to use a unique non-invasive procedure called biophotomodulation in a treatment trial for alleviating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
SIRS is committed to directly supporting researchers who have important and novel ideas that may have immediate effects on improving the lives of people with schizophrenia. SIRS established a Research Fund Award for this purpose. The award is intended to provide research funds for junior investigators who have an important idea or hypothesis to test, but are lacking in research funds to do so.
A Message from Leandro Valiengo, M.D, Ph.D.
Our proposal is to evaluate the efficacy of cerebral photobiomodulation for the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The outcomes will be the improvement in clinical scales of schizophrenia and in magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We expect that this new noninvasive neuromodulation technique will be superior to the placebo group and could be a promissory tool to help alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia.
Support the Research Fund Award
The SIRS Research Fund Award has proven invaluable to supporting the research development of early career researchers. Through past donations, SIRS has provided two research fund awards to junior investigators. The 2019 awardee, Yoji Hirano of Kyushu University in Japan, was able to publish 7 papers in 2020 which were supported in part by SIRS Research Fund Award. The project will use an MRI biofeedback method to alleviate auditory hallucinations in patients. The 2020 SIRS Research Fund Award goes to Leandro Valiengo from Sao Paolo, Brazil. The funds will enable the use a unique non-invasive procedure called biophotomodulation in a treatment trial for alleviating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
It is estimated that 1 in every 100 people in the world live with schizophrenia. Even more live with psychosis. Now more than ever there is a need for increased research funding for schizophrenia research around the world. Consider supporting early career researchers and junior investigators with project ideas that would improve the lives of people with schizophrenia by donating to the SIRS research award. Your gift will be matched by an anonymous donor up to $5000 USD until 31 December 2020. Make double the impact by donating to SIRS!
