As part of the France 2030 Investment Plan launched by the French government, PEPR PROPSY, with the support of Fondation FondaMental, was selected to strengthen clinical and pre-clinical research in precision psychiatry.
A central component of PROPSY is the development of French Minds, a large-scale longitudinal and deeply phenotyped cohort supported by a multimodal database.
PEPR PROPSY, represented by INSERM, along with Fondation FondaMental and the NIHR MH-TRC, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to formalises a consortium, with the shared intent to advance precision psychiatry, through :
- reciprocal access to datasets and biosample cohorts,
- the harmonisation of blood-sampling criteria and multi-omics workflows,
- joint projects on genomic and immuno-metabolic biomarkers,
- exchanges of researchers and students,
- coordinated efforts to secure external funding with public- and private-sector partners.
This Consortium took place at the Wellcome Trust in London, on April 13-14, 2026.
A call for applications has been opened for doctoral and postdoctoral students to encourage their participation in the Consortium. They will :
- Showcase their research to international experts
- Engage in discussions on mental health biomarkers
- Network with leading UK and French scientists
The Consortium program is here.
1️⃣ The first day opened discussions on major scientific and organizational challenges.
It began with presentations by Patrick Nédellec and Max Ahmed, followed by Husseini Manji, who outlined the scientific and collaborative framework.
A team-building session allowed postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, and early-career scientists to present their projects: Jeremy Bernard, Camille Verebi, Bruno Pedraz, Ariel Frajerman, Nathan Neu, José Fernando García Rodrigo, Rachele Rubiu, Séverine Robert, Yury Lages, Chloe Yap, Abigail Gee, Fabiana Corsi Zuelli, Lily Farakish, and Thomas Johnson.
Recent advances and key research challenges were highlighted during a session chaired by Marion Leboyer and Rachel Upthegrove.
It opened with a presentation by Hartmuth Kolb on advances in neuroimaging and the development of blood biomarkers, offering promising perspectives for early diagnosis and patient follow-up.
Antonio Pardiñas and Boris Chaumette discussed the genetics and pharmacogenetics of psychiatric disorders: how genetic variations influence disease risk as well as treatment response.
Golam Khandaker and Jeremy Poschmann presented proteomic approaches, highlighting the role of proteins in pathological mechanisms and their potential as therapeutic targets.
2️⃣ The second day began with an in-depth exploration of biological mechanisms, in a session chaired by Ed Bullmore:
- Immunometabolism and mental health with Toby Pillinger and Ophelia Godin
- Autoimmune psychiatric disorders with Laurent Groc and Lahiru Handunnetthi
- Correlations between blood biomarkers and brain imaging with Neil Harrison and Cathy Philippe
- Data harmonization with Boris Chaumette and Ophelia Godin
The Consortium concluded with a strategic session focused on:
- Harmonization of clinical and biological data
- Development of shared standards
- Preparation for future international funding calls
- Structuring a long-term sustainable collaboration
This Consortium fully reflects the ambition of the PEPR PROPSY: to bring together expertise in neuroscience, genetics, immunology, and imaging in order to accelerate the transformation of psychiatric research toward a more predictive, personalized, and integrative approach.
