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INTPART-International Partnerships for Excellent Education and Research

Integrating global mental health with brain imaging and genetics in mental illness research and education

Alternative title: Integrere analyseverktøy med hjerneavbildning og genetikk i mental helse forskning og utdannelse

Awarded: NOK 4.5 mill.

The project focuses on the training of future mental health researchers, and is based on the Center of Excellence NORMENT (University of Oslo) and its team of clinical, brain MRI and genetic researchers, and collaborative research projects with the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa and their complementary research team. The first part of the project focused on establishing infrastructure and initiating interactions and collaboration. We started working with students and supervisors in mental health research across the two partner institutions in Norway and South Africa. The second phase included a series of joint workshops and exchange of researchers. In particular, master's level, doctoral level and supervisors have been active with collaborative projects. Training in MRI image processing and big data analysis tools in Oslo for UCT researchers, and training in trans-cultural effects on serious mental disorders are included in the joint projects. Furthermore, the research projects are integrated with educational and dissemination activities in targeted workshops and cross-national ones. This has resulted in increased competence and several projects have generated new research results. The Corona pandemic reduced the possibility of physical exchange, forcing us to move our collaborative activities to virtual meetings. Furthermore, the big data analytical projects have been supported by new data storage and computing infrastructure that gives collaborating researchers access to data and new analytical tools. This has also reduced the need for long flights for physical visits and researcher exchanges. In the last phase of the project, we have achieved concrete results through contributions to the international ENIGMA brain imaging consortium with participants from all over the world, where students from the project have carried out analyzes and written articles. We have also initiated a major training and professional development project at UCT, where a major focus on the problem of violence and mental disorders is planned.

The project has developed new knowledge about causes and mechanisms of complex human diseases, focusing on psychiatric disorders. The large increase in immigrants to Europe from Africa, with high risk of mental illness, makes it crucial to obtain knowledge that can be used to prevent development of mental illness among immigrants. Thus, new transcultural knowledge is important for the health care sector and society. We have gain new knowledge about brain and genetic mechanisms involved in mental illness, and new statistical / bioinformatics tools. The current project has improved the education of our future scientists within NORMENT centre, based on frontline collaborative research projects with UCT. The program has developed a strong synergy between the brain imaging genetics and analytical expertise of NORMENT; and the clinical and global health expertise at UCT. We have organized a series of courses, meetings and research exchange between UiO and UCT Improved quality of mental research in both sites based on translational expertise. The project has initiated a series of new projects and grant applications with researchers from UCT and collaborating African institutions.

Mental disorders are ranked among the leading causes of the burden of diseases worldwide. Thus, identifying their underlying pathophysiology is imperative and can lead to major health benefits. The project focuses on education of our future scientists within mental health. It is based on the Centre of Excellence NORMENT (University of Oslo, UiO) and its clinical, brain imaging and genetics teams, and frontline collaborative research projects with University of Cape Town, (UCT), South Africa. The main purpose is to combine mental health research in Norway (UiO) with complementary research in South Africa (UCT), and integrate with education to train the next generation of mental health researchers who need expertise in imaging and genetic tools as well as transcultural clinical expertise. The project will leverage the non-diverse Scandinavian (UiO) and the relatively highly diverse African (UCT) genetic populations, as well as the complementary clinical research of the two partners. The project will develop a strong synergy between the genetics and imaging expertise of NORMENT; and the transcultural expertise at UCT. We will integrate education and research about brain and genetic mechanisms involved in mental illness, to form a strong framework for excellent research. The education and training proposed in this grant naturally build on the infrastructure and expertise from UCT, combining genetics and brain imaging with transcultural aspects, three areas of importance for NORMENT. The project builds on existing collaboration between UiO and UCT, and will extend this into Life Sciences, which is currently growing rapidly as a result of technological developments. However, technology must be combined with clinical and cultural expertise to understand mental illness. The project will apply new analytical methods for big data, and interpret the findings in a clinical setting. The project provides a framework for long-term collaboration at the institutional level.

Funding scheme:

INTPART-International Partnerships for Excellent Education and Research