Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness with multiple causes, but specific biochemical processes that cause this disease have not yet been discovered. The work of Michelle Carvalho, advised by Acioly Luiz Lacerda, attempts to identify molecules that could be useful in diagnosing, monitoring, and characterizing this psychiatric disorder. Researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) used nuclear magnetic resonance to analyze and compare important amino acids in the protein syntheses of individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Recognizing these molecules could help create a future in which a blood test helps doctors select the most appropriate treatment for a patient depending on the stage of the disease.
Advisor: Acioly Luiz Tavares Lacerda | Facility: LNBio/Nuclear magnetic resonance