Research funds pilot project 2026 – Congratulations to the awardees!

✔️ Marta Barrera Conde

• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Bordeaux University, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000 Bordeaux
• Cannabinoid Dysregulation of Random Association Patterns: Insights into Delusional-Like States. This project will investigate the neural mechanisms underlying delusions, a central symptom of schizophrenia. It focuses on how random associations—considered one of the cognitive processes underlying the formation of delusions—are encoded within hippocampal circuits, and how they can be altered by THC via its primary target, the cannabinoid receptor type 1. By combining animal models of delusional-like states with in vivo imaging and biochemical analyses of neural networks, this study aims to clarify how specific alterations in hippocampal function contribute to these psychotic symptoms. This research will enhance our mechanistic understanding of delusions and provide a foundation for future studies on targeted therapies that modulate these hippocampal networks

✔️ Matthieu Chidharom

• Postdoctoral researcher, set to begin as a junior group leader in September 2026
• INSERM-U1329  Strasbourg

• An EEG Connectivity-Based Marker of Distractibility for Precision Psychiatry: A Pilot Study in Schizophrenia.
  This project aligns with the objectives of PROPSY-EDU by contributing to the development of precision psychiatry through the identification of accessible brain biomarkers for mental health disorders. Distractibility is a transdiagnostic challenge that can either reveal early vulnerability to mental disorders or help distinguish clinically relevant patient profiles. By combining electroencephalography (EEG)—a method for recording brain activity that is easily deployable on a large scale—with machine learning approaches, this project aims to identify neural signatures associated with attention deficits in schizophrenia. Assessing whether these signatures are common across disorders or specific to a particular disorder will contribute to the objectives of PROPSY-EDU by improving patient characterization, early detection of disorders, and, ultimately, the development of more personalized care

✔️Pierre Courault

• Pharmacist (PharmD), Doctor (PhD), Radiopharmacist-Researcher
• BIORAN at the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center

• The Role of 5-HT6 Receptors in Schizophrenia: A Postmortem Autoradiographic Study for PET Neuroimaging. The use of a PET radiotracer targeting 5-HT6 receptors is a promising tool for improving our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia and promoting the development of new treatments. Since this radiotracer is currently undergoing clinical development for use in humans, a conclusive exploratory study using autoradiography on postmortem tissue would strengthen its potential for translation into clinical practice. Ultimately, the use of this radiotracer in PET neuroimaging studies in humans—particularly in clinical trials—could accelerate the development of treatments that specifically target 5-HT6 receptors. It could also serve as a tool for precision psychiatry by helping to identify patients likely to benefit from treatment targeting 5-HT6 receptors, measure target engagement, and monitor treatment response as well as disease progression

✔️Arnaud Pouchon

• University Hospital Physician (PHU), PhD
• Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital, University of Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble Institute of Neurosciences
• Transnosographic neuromodulation of anhedonia through accelerated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and personalized functional targeting of reward networks. This project is fully aligned with PROPSY-EDU’s mission by contributing to the development of precision psychiatry based on transnosographic dimensions and innovative approaches. By targeting anhedonia, it addresses the goal of improving the management of this disabling condition—common to several mental disorders—through an innovative approach using accelerated rTMS, which is potentially more accessible and effective. The integration of behavioral and EEG biomarkers contributes to a better understanding of this dimension and to the identification of predictive response signatures, in line with PROPSY-EDU’s goals for personalized medicine