The proposed research is expected to deliver on several of the following:

• Significantly advance the molecular and neurobiological understanding of how genetic, epigenetic and environmental risk and resilience factors interact to drive or prevent the transition from mental health to mental illness throughout the life course as well as how such molecular and neurobiological changes could be reversed.
• Develop relevant predictive models through federated analysis of large European cohorts of psychiatric disorders and investigate the biological and neural basis of pathogenetic mechanisms and symptoms shared by different disorders.
• Identify, validate and document different types or combinations of biomarkers for purposes such as:
  • development of robust quantitative, clinical measures of mental health
  • identification of signatures, for example genetic and epigenetic blueprints, conferring susceptibility to and protection against mental illnesses
  • establishment of more objective diagnostic and monitoring criteria to improve patient outcomes and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness
  • prediction of treatment response and risk of relapse for better, more scientifically-guided and targeted use of currently available preventive and therapeutic interventions for different population groups.

Applicants are encouraged to discover new disease pathways and drug targets to boost the development of new classes of safer and more effective medications for the prevention and treatment of mental illnesses. Also, they are encouraged to establish the molecular and neurobiological effects as well as cognitive and psychological consequences of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological prevention strategies and assess their efficacy and side effects as part of clinical trials.

All projects funded under this topic are strongly encouraged to participate in networking and joint activities, as appropriate.