EU-GEI Project
The EU-GEI project (EUropean network of national schizophrenia networks studying Gene-Environment Interactions) has aimed to identify, over a 5-year period, the interactive genetic, clinical and environmental determinants, involved in the development, severity and outcome of schizophrenia. The partners in EU-GEI represent the nationally funded schizophrenia / mental health networks of the UK, Netherlands, France, Spain, Turkey and Germany, as well as other research institutes and a number of SME’s in Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, and outside the EU in Hong Kong/China and Australia.
The project started on May 1, 2010 and ran until May 1, 2015.
MHeNs Members involved:
Prof. Jim van Os (Coordinator)
Dr. Bart Rutten (Vice-Coordinator)
Karin Quanten (Project Manager)
Wendy Beuken (Project Assistant)
About the project
In order to identify (the interactions between) the genetic, clinical and environmental determinants, EU-GEI have employed family-based, multidisciplinary study paradigms, which allowed for efficient assessment of gene-environment interactions.
The translation of the results to the clinical practice have been facilitated by additional experimental research and by risk assessment bioinformatics research. This has enabled (i) the identification of modifiable biological and cognitive pathways and mechanisms and (ii) the construction of Risk Assessment Charts and Momentary Assessment Technology tools. These tools contributed to the early prediction of (i) transition to psychotic disorder in (at-risk) help-seeking individuals, (ii) diagnosis and (iii) monitoring of outcomes.
EU-GEI will additionally include a user-led PhD project, and aims to impact on mental health and societal issues as called for in the European Parliament Resolution on Mental Health in Europe (INI/2006/2058 – see B3, impact).
Maastricht University (MUMC) coordinated the project. Project Coordinator was Professor Jim van Os, Director of clinical research in MHeNs, the research School Mental Health and Neuroscience at MUMC and head of the research line of Psychiatric Ecogenetics, or gene-environment interactions (GxE).
If you want to request the instructional videos from the old eu-gei site you can ask Bea Campforts to send you the required videos.