"We're hoping that the Forum will become a catalyst for creative thinking that will speed the pace of discovery," said NIMH Director Thomas Insel, M.D.
The site (www.schizophreniaforum.org) includes original news stories and interviews with leading scientists in the field. Among specific forums that invite contributions from the field, "Current Hypotheses" presents theory reviews, while an "Idea Lab" posts less formal treatments. Most features of the site are interactive and solicit comment.
There will also be live chats with experts that will be archived for later viewing. For example, NIMH senior advisor Mayada Akil, M.D., who represents the Institute to the Forum, is tentatively scheduled to co-lead a discussion with Dr. Irving Gottesman, University of Virginia, on "Identifying Quantifiable Phenotypes in Schizophrenia Research."
Citations of current schizophrenia-related papers, with links to PubMed abstracts are posted each week the newest in a searchable database going back to 2000. Among research tools, the site offers an extensive annotated index of relevant web sites with information, downloadable software, databases, and other web-based technologies for scientists. Future plans include a searchable database called SchizophreniaGene.
Registered researchers are listed in a membe
'"/>
Contact: Jules Asher
NIMHpress@nih.gov
301-443-4536
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health
31-Oct-2005