Mental health is in crisis worldwide. While the neurosciences are advancing rapidly, psychiatry still struggles to diagnose and effectively treat many disorders. The Synapsy Center for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, is launching a new international prize to reward those who bring these two worlds closer together.
A new research model is needed
Depression, schizophrenia, anxiety or bipolar disorders: psychiatric illnesses affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide and are among the leading causes of disability, suffering and mortality. Yet clinical advances remain limited. Many diagnoses still lack clear biomarkers, and treatments often remain imprecise.
This delay can be explained in part by the persistent separation between fundamental research in neuroscience and clinical practice in psychiatry. Although knowledge about the brain has advanced considerably, it is still difficult to translate this knowledge into concrete solutions for patients.
The Synapsy Center has set itself the mission of bridging this gap. Heir to the Swiss National Science Foundation’s Synapsy National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR), active from 2010 to 2022, it brings together neuroscience researchers and clinical psychiatry researchers from the University of Geneva with a clear objective: to boost translational research to improve mental health.
An award to recognize bridges
In spring 2025, the Synapsy Center is launching the eponymous international prize, worth 50,000 CHF, which will be awarded for an outstanding mid- to advanced-career contribution at the intersection of neuroscience and psychiatry.
The future of mental health research depends on closer links between the laboratory and the clinic,” emphasizes. This award will highlight those who already embody this vision and whose research quality has significantly contributed to improving the understanding of psychiatric illnesses. Our hope is that this will encourage others to follow their example, e.g. the Synapsy research model.”
Christian Lüscher, Professor and Coordinator, Synapsy Center and Chairman of the Synapsy Prize Committee, University of Geneva
Call for nominations
Applications will be open from early April to June 30, 2025. Only peer nominations will be accepted. A selection will be made by a jury of Swiss experts from UNIGE, University of Lausanne and EPFL, members of the former NCCR-Synapsy, reinforced by a representative of a patient association.
The winner will be invited to the Campus Biotech in Geneva in December 2025 for a public conference and a Master Class for young researchers