News

Psy-ShareD Expands Global Collaboration with New Institutional Partners

Published: March 10, 2025

Psy-ShareD is pleased to announce the addition of several prestigious institutions to our collaborative network, enhancing the diversity and scope of our neuroimaging repository.

New Institutional Partners:

Johns Hopkins University (USA)
National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (Mexico)
Georgia State University (USA)
University of Zurich (Switzerland)
Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)

These institutions have contributed datasets encompassing First Episode Psychosis (FEP), Schizophrenia (SCZ), and Healthy Controls (HC), broadening the geographical representation of our repository. The inclusion of data from North America, Europe, and Asia introduces greater diversity, facilitating more comprehensive and generalizable research outcomes.

Introducing Psy-ShareD: Open-Access Data Sharing for Psychosis Research at SIRS 2025

Published: February 12, 2025

At the 2025 Congress of the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS), the Psychosis MRI Shared Data Resource (Psy-ShareD) will be introduced in a workshop focused on the future of open-access data sharing for psychosis research. The workshop, led by Paul Allen (King’s College London) and Rachel Upthegrove (University of Oxford), aims to tackle the inconsistencies in psychosis research caused by small sample sizes and heterogeneous methods across studies.

Psy-ShareD provides free, open access to harmonized structural MRI T1-weighted data collected across multiple global sites. This dataset is linked to detailed demographic and clinical information, including diagnosis, symptoms, and medication status. By making this data available to researchers worldwide, Psy-ShareD is setting the stage for more robust and comprehensive psychosis studies.

Presenters Mariana Zurita, Neelabja Roy, Jack Rogers, and discussant Sophia Frangou will explore how this resource can drive forward the understanding of psychosis, with an emphasis on biomarkers and patient heterogeneity. Researchers can also benefit from training resources, scientific support, and access to data catalogues.

Join us at SIRS 2025 to learn about Psy-ShareD and its potential to revolutionize psychosis research through open, collaborative data sharing.

Insights from the Psy_ShareD Data Repository Workshop 2024

Published: January 08, 2025

The Psy_ShareD Data Repository Workshop successfully brought together researchers, clinicians, and experts in psychosis research for an insightful session on leveraging shared data to advance scientific discovery. The workshop, dedicated to the Psy_ShareD initiative, provided attendees with an in-depth understanding of the repository that integrates international MRI T1 datasets with linked clinical and cognitive data into a free-to-access resource.

Workshop Recording
Missed the workshop or want to revisit its highlights? The full recording is now available to view online:
Psy_ShareD Data Repository Workshop - Playlist on YouTube

New Publication Release: Psy-ShareD Project Unveils Latest Insights on Open-Access MRI in Psychosis Research

Published: October 21, 2024

The Psy-Shared project is pleased to announce the release of its latest publication, "The Need for Open Access MRI in Psychosis: Introducing a New Global Imaging Resource (PsyShareD)." This publication addresses the challenges in understanding the neuroanatomical basis of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, which remain insufficiently characterized despite extensive research.

While initiatives such as ENIGMA and PSYSCAN have advanced the field, they are limited in global accessibility. Current datasets are not fully open, restricting non-consortium researchers, particularly from underrepresented regions, from conducting high-powered analyses. To address these issues, the paper introduces the Psychosis MRI Shared Data Resource (PsyShareD), a new open-access initiative funded by the UK’s Medical Research Council. For more information, please read the full article.

For further insights into the project, see the full interview featured in NJP Schizophrenia, where the Principal Investigator of PsyShareD discusses the project's impact, goals, and the future of open-access neuroimaging.

[Link to video interview: https://vimeo.com/1006730474/069d14a680?share=copy.]

Upcoming Workshop on PsyShareD Data Repository: A Comprehensive Resource for MRI T1 Datasets

Published: July 24, 2024

Date: 20 Nov 2024 13:00 - 17:30 GMT
Location: Online
Register for this event

Introduction to Psy_ShareD: The workshop will begin with an overview of the repository, discussing its necessity and the benefits it offers to the research community.
Repository Structure: Participants will learn about the organization of the data repository, including how MRI T1 datasets and linked clinical and cognitive data are categorized and indexed for easy access.
Using the Data Catalogue: Detailed guidance on navigating the data catalogue, the central hub for managing and accessing data within the repository.
Validation and Support Tools: An introduction to the tools and procedures available for validating data, ensuring its quality, and supporting researchers in their work.
Data Access Procedures: Step-by-step instructions on how to request and obtain data from the repository, including any necessary protocols and requirements.

We are excited to announce an upcoming workshop dedicated to the Psy_ShareD Data Repository, an initiative that combines international pre-existing MRI T1 datasets with linked clinical and cognitive data into one free-to-access resource. This workshop aims to educate attendees about the repository details, operational framework, and the tools available to support their research.

Please find below a list of key highlights and what to expect:

Who Should Attend: This workshop is designed for researchers, clinicians, and anyone involved in psychosis research. It provides a unique opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about the Psy_ShareD repository and to learn how to leverage this resource to enhance their research efforts.

Registration Details: To join the session online, please register using the provided link. The Microsoft Teams meeting link will be shared closer to the event. For more information about the Psy_ShareD Data Repository and the upcoming workshop, please contact psy_shared@kcl.ac.uk.

We look forward to your participation and to fostering a collaborative environment that advances psychosis research through shared data and resources.

PsyShareD Project Releases Comprehensive Data Catalogue to Advance Psychosis Research

Published: June 30, 2024

The PsyShareD project has published its extensive data catalogue, marking a significant contribution to the global scientific community. This initiative, funded by the Medical Research Council and involving international collaboration, aims to enhance the understanding of psychosis through the sharing of neuroimaging data.

The newly released data catalogue includes a comprehensive collection of structural MRI scans from both healthy controls and individuals exhibiting psychosis symptoms. It contains detailed information about each dataset, including caseness, sample size, data formats, demographics, clinical variables, medication details, and cognitive variables.

These datasets have been shared by institutions such as King's College London, the University of Cambridge, Brunel University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Oxford, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Lubeck (Germany), the University of Toyama (Japan), National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (India) and the University of Naples Federico II (Italy), provides an invaluable resource for researchers worldwide.

Data catalogues are available through KCL FigShare and the PsyShareD website (https://psyshared.com).

New Academic Institutions Join Psy-ShareD Project

Published: June 30, 2024

In addition to the original Psy-ShareD Partners, King's College London has established data sharing agreements with the University of Toyama (Japan), and the University of Naples Federico II (Italy). Additionally, Psy-ShareD will be sharing summary data from the University of Lubeck (Germany), and the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich (Germany) via the Open Science Framework.

The PsyShareD project, an initiative aimed at enhancing the understanding of psychosis through shared neuroimaging data, will now benefit from the extensive datasets provided by these new partners. The collaboration includes the exchange of structural MRI scans from both healthy controls and individuals exhibiting psychosis symptoms, creating a comprehensive resource for researchers.

SIRS Conference 2024

Published: April 22, 2024

The Psy-ShareD team recently attended the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) conference held in Florence, Italy on April 3-4, 2024. During the conference, Mariana Zurita, a member of the team, presented the current aims of the project and promoted it within the scientific community. This presentation was met with interest and enthusiasm, and it helped to garner further support for the project's goal.