Stewart Alan Anderson, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, will study the possible role of mitochondria, the “power plants” of human cells, in schizophrenia. He will study a genetic irregularity that increases the risk of schizophrenia and its link to the activity of mitochondria. He will use advanced technology to reprogram stem cells from skin samples of healthy individuals (controls), and from patients with a genetic variation on chromosome 22 previously linked with the illness. He will force the stem cells to rapidly mature into active neurons and compare measures of bioenergetic health in neurons from the patients compared to controls. He hopes these studies will open up a new way of thinking about the neuropathology, prevention, and treatment of schizophrenia.