CRESTAR project selected by Russell Group to showcase EU research

A King’s research project has been selected for a new section of The Russell Group’s website, which aims to showcase how UK membership of the European Union enhances world-class research and teaching at Russell Group universities.

One of 23 studies profiled on The Russell Group’s website, the EU-funded CRESTAR project will help to identify the most appropriate treatments for sufferers of schizophrenia and improve their prognosis.

By using a vast pool of clinical data and DNA samples taken from across Europe the team of researchers are able to establish the likelihood of a patient’s response to anti-psychotic drugs including clozapine, which is reserved for drug-resistant patients.

The research team, led by Dr James MacCabe and Professor David Collier from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), then used this resource to establish what characteristics were common between groups who were and were not resistant to anti-psychotic drugs. The study paves the way for the development of biomarkers, genomic tests and clinical decision-making tools that enable doctors to see if a particular patient should be started on clozapine sooner in their illness.

A follow-on project named Strata, funded by the Medical Research Council, has begun to combine Crestar insights with neuroimaging measures and will continue this wide collaboration to make measurable improvements to the lives of those with mental health problems.