Diana Perkins, MD, MPH

Dr. Perkins’ research includes investigations of predictors and mechanisms driving the development of psychotic disorders in persons experiencing high-risk symptoms. Working with colleagues in the US and abroad, she has discovered biomarkers for psychosis risk that enhance prediction and shed light on the biological pathways that contribute to the development of schizophrenia. She is especially interested in proteomic and genomic biomarkers for psychosis risk and the role that the immune and redox system dysregulation may play in the development of schizophrenia. Currently, she collaborates with other researchers as a member of the Accelerating Medicines Partnership^® Schizophrenia (AMP^® SCZ), a public-private partnership that includes the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency, and multiple public and private organizations. The overall aim of the AMP^® SCZ initiative is “to generate tools that will considerably improve success in developing early-stage interventions for patients who are at risk of developing schizophrenia.” Her research has been continually funded by NIMG for over 20 years and has produces over 300 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 117, over78,000 citations).

She endeavors to move advances in evidenced-based practice from the research literature into clinical practice. For this reason, she founded, and she is the Director of Early Psychosis Intervention in North Carolina, a program that provides support to Coordinated Specialty Care Services for the First Episode Psychosis funded by the State of North Carolina.