Research Award 2026: Schizophrenia is Not Just Schizophrenia

The Brain League's 2026 Research Award, endowed with 40,000 Swiss francs, was awarded to Philipp Homan and Wolfgang Omlor. The two researchers received the accolade during Brain Week in Zurich.

The focus of Homan and Omlor's work is schizophrenia, a serious mental disorder known for its prominent symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, as well as perceptual and thought disorders.

Up to 90,000 Affected

In Switzerland, an estimated 0.5 to 1 percent of the population is affected by schizophrenia at some point in their lives, equating to approximately 40,000 to 90,000 people. This affects not only the individuals themselves but also their relatives, making it crucial to research the illness more closely.

A challenge in this regard is the complexity of schizophrenia. Two individuals with the same diagnosis can exhibit different symptoms; for instance, affected individuals may experience rapidly shifting thoughts, hear voices, or withdraw from social life. It is particularly interesting to explore whether these differences manifest in brain structure.

Individual Treatment Instead of Averages

Homan and Omlor's findings reveal that brain structure in certain networks can indeed vary significantly from patient to patient. The study highlights the importance of not just considering average values in brain research. To understand why schizophrenia presents such diversity in its manifestations, it's essential to measure how neurologically distinct the affected individuals are. This understanding can lead to more individualized treatments. Homan and Omlor's results provide a foundation for this, based on very large datasets.

Finding the right balance between general and individual characteristics is a challenge in brain research. The Brain League is therefore delighted to support the work of Philipp Homan and Wolfgang Omlor with the research award, offering hope to those affected and their families.

Press Contact:
Marco Tackenberg, Managing Director of Brain League
info@hirnliga.ch
Tel.: 031 310 20 91

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: Schweizerische Hirnliga / Photographer: Nora Dal Cero