The Bahn laboratory is conducting an extensive research program to define the molecular basis of major neuropsychiatric disorders. Our focus is on schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, major depressive disorder and autistic and anxiety spectrum disorders. The internationally recognized scientific team is supported by state of the art laboratory facilities at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. The Cambridge Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research (CCNR), under the direction of Prof Sabine Bahn conducts and coordinates fundamental and applied research into the causes and treatment of major neuropsychiatric disorders, focusing on biomarkers and novel target discovery with the mission to translate research findings from the bench to the patient bedside. The Bahn lab has received generous support and funding through the Stanley Medical Research Institute (SMRI) and is a long-term partner in the Stanley Program for Epidemiology, Prevention and Treatment of Schizophrenia (SPECTS).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called for efforts to modernise and standardise approaches for the delivery of more effective and safer drugs. Proteomics is the most applicable technology for implementing biomarker approaches in drug discovery given that virtually all existing drug targets are proteins. Proteomics is a systems based approach for the global study of protein expression changes. It can provide information on gene function, disease processes and mechanisms of drug action at several stages in the drug discovery pipeline and pave the way for improved and faster implementation of drug discovery strategies. Ideally, clinically useful biomarkers should be readily accessible in body fluids such as blood serum or urine.
Research in the CCNR focuses on the following major psychiatric disorders:
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar Disorder
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- Autism spectrum conditions
For more information, visit the Cambridge Centre for Neuropyschiatric Research website.