Project Summary

Fang Liu, M.D. (Young Investigator 2003) of Centre For Addiction and Mental Health, will explore a modification of the “dopamine hypothesis” which suggests that disturbances in the dopamine neurotransmitter/receptor system result in symptoms of schizophrenia.  Recent modifications to this hypothesis include mechanisms that involve other neurotransmitter/receptor systems-for example the ligand gated receptor channels which mediate the neurotransmitter glutamate.  Dr. Liu will provide a novel molecular framework by which dopamine receptors and ligand channels can interact by direct physical coupling.  Dr. Liu will test the hypothesis that abnormal dopamine and NMDA (a glutamate receptor subtype implicated in memory and learning) receptor function is due to the dysregulation of dopamine receptors from NMDA receptor subunits by studying postmortem brains of schizophrenia patients.  This work will aid in the development of alternate therapeutic strategies and in the identification of genes which may be responsible for schizophrenia.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS\Schizophrenia

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