Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness affecting 1 in 100 people, including over 1.5 million Canadians. It causes significant disability and places a heavy burden on individuals, families, and healthcare systems. Although many factors influence risk (i.e., genes, trauma, substance use), not everyone at high-risk for schizophrenia develops the illness, and some diagnosed individuals achieve good outcomes despite high illness severity. This ability to avoid developing schizophrenia or to maintain good functioning is called resilience, yet little is known about why some individuals are more resilient than others. This project aims to understand resilience across a spectrum of psychosis - from those at high-risk, to early-phase psychosis, to chronic illness. Using three unique datasets, we will identify genetic, clinical, and psychosocial factors that help individuals avoid developing schizophrenia or recover well. First, we analyze a large Swedish cohort containing schizophrenia genetic and psychosocial data to compare high-risk individuals who remain unaffected (resilient) with those who develop schizophrenia (non-resilient), to uncover factors linked to resilience. Second, we will compare individuals from the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program over 6 and 12 months to see what clinical factors predict better symptom and functional outcomes. Third, we will create a registry of people with schizophrenia in Manitoba that includes genetic, clinical, and psychosocial information - this will be the first-of-its-kind schizophrenia dataset within Manitoba and will provide region-specific insights into resilience within this population. By understanding resilience, we can improve prediction for who will develop schizophrenia and refine treatments to help individuals recover early. The development of the Manitoba registry will also build important resources for future research in Canada, supporting personalized care and better health outcomes for those with schizophrenia.