‘Significant’ patient population unresponsive to existing schizophrenia treatments, highlighting ‘major unmet clinical need’, according to PhD researcher Keelin Harrison.

Keelin Harrison is a PhD student researching the role of neuroinflammation in the pathology of schizophrenia.

“What is becoming increasingly clear”, Harrison says, “is that neuroinflammation is a highly dynamic process, and understanding how it interacts with structural and circuit-level changes in the brain remains an evolving area of research.

“Building on this foundation, my PhD project aims to further investigate these mechanisms and explore their potential role as therapeutic targets.” She is a researcher at the FutureNeuro Research Ireland Centre for Translational Brain Science, based at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Harrison’s research career began in biological and biomedical sciences first, before she specialised in neuroscience midway through her undergraduate degree from Trinity College Dublin. Later, she completed her masters’ degree in translational neuroscience at Imperial College London, where she developed a strong interest to research the role neuroinflammation plays across neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Harrison says she engages with patient and public involvement initiatives through FutureNeuro to better ensure that her research is informed by the perspectives of those it ultimately aims to benefit.

What kind of impact do you foresee from your research?

Schizophrenia affects approximately 1pc of the population and is a profoundly debilitating condition, impacting cognition, perception, emotion and social functioning.

While current antipsychotic medications can be effective in treating positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, they do not adequately address cognitive deficits or broader functional impairments. In addition, a significant proportion of patients do not respond to existing treatments, highlighting a major unmet clinical need.

My research aims to advance understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying schizophrenia – particularly the role of inflammation – and to identify potential targets for future therapeutic development. Ultimately, the goal is to support the development of more effective treatment strategies for patients.

What inspired you to become a researcher?

Growing up, I was always naturally curious and inclined to ask questions about how things work. When I was first introduced to neuroscience, I was struck by how many fundamental questions remain unanswered – and in some cases, whether we are even asking the right ones.

Being in an environment that encourages curiosity, critical thinking and intellectual challenge is what initially drew me to research and continues to motivate me. I find it genuinely rewarding to step back, question assumptions and contribute to a field that is still rapidly evolving.

What are some of the biggest challenges or misconceptions you face as a researcher in your field?

One of the central challenges in neuroscience and psychiatric research is the difficulty of modelling human psychiatric conditions in preclinical systems. There is often a disconnect between biological findings in animal models and their relevance to human disease, which can limit translation.

Another challenge is the persistence of stigma and misunderstanding surrounding psychiatric disorders, which can influence how research in this area is perceived and supported.

More broadly, there remains a misconception that conditions like schizophrenia are well understood or primarily defined by their symptoms alone, when in reality, they involve complex and heterogeneous biological and environmental factors.

Do you think public engagement with science and data has changed in recent years?

Public engagement with science has become increasingly important, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which highlighted both the value of clear scientific communication and the risks posed by misinformation. Effect communication between researchers and the general public is essential for building trust, preventing misunderstandings and ensuring that findings are accessible and accurately represented.

Furthermore, involving public and patients in the research process helps ensure that scientific questions are aligned with real-world needs and priorities.

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