Research
Our Mission
The research goals of The Outpatient Research Program (ORP) support the over-arching goals of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center to acquire further knowledge of the pathophysiology, course and treatment of schizophrenia and related disorders. In the ORP, progress toward these goal is underway using a number of different strategies. Clinical trials are designed to assess the effectiveness of pharmacologic compounds, and non-medication research protocols seek to better understand the biological mechanisms that underlie or are a consequence of schizophrenia.
Research protocols are reviewed and approved through the Institutional Review Board of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Additional research over-site is provided at site specific locations including, the Baltimore VA Medical Center, Sheppard Pratt Health System, and Key Point Inc.
Subjects are recruited for studies form a variety of sources. All subjects are assess to insure that they are capable of providing informed consent. When necessary, subjects undergo training to increase their decisional capacity, but only after they demonstrate this understanding are they entered for study participation.