Ms Amanda Jones, BSc, BSc (Hons)    research scholar

	Biography

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with no known cause. Amanda's research is looking for evidence of an autoimmune reaction in people with schizophrenia that may result in the debilitating symptoms of this disease.

In 2000 Amanda graduated from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Science Degree majoring in the field of biochemistry. She subsequentially graduated from UQ with Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree (Class IIA) in 2001, in the field of biochemistry. Her honours project was examining expression and distribution levels of neurotransmitter receptors involved in respiration in the brainstems of infants whose cause of death was SIDS.
Her current research project is looking at autoimmunity in schizophrenia, specifically looking for the presence of autoantibodies directed against neurotransmitter receptors in people with schizophrenia that may be responsible for the disease. This research is generously supported by the Zaccari Scholarship and The Schizophrenia Fellowship of Queensland.

	Keywords
	Medical: Immunogenetics, Medical: Immune System Disorders, Science and Technology: Neuroscience, Medical: Schizophrenia, Medical: Neurotransmitters, Medical: Mental Disorders, Medical: Immunology, Medical: Autoimmunity