U of A psychiatry researcher one of six Canadians awarded prestigious grant

Research scientist Yang Liu. Photo supplied.

Yang Liu, a research scientist in the Department of Psychiatry, has been awarded a prestigious Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) 2023 Young Investigator Grant. 

The grant is a recognition of a young investigator's contributions and potential in the field of mental health research. It highlights their dedication, innovative approaches and the impact of their work.

The BBRF is the largest non-government organization that funds psychiatric brain- and behaviour-disorder research. The funding covers two years, enabling promising investigators to extend fellowship training or begin careers as independent researchers.

Liu is one of only six Canadians to receive the award in 2023. Most researchers who receive this grant are already assistant professors, making Liu’s award unique as he applied as a postdoctoral scientist. 

Liu, who recently started a new role as a research scientist, focuses on using large data and machine learning to predict and screen mental disorders. 

During his postdoctoral fellowship, he trained with Bo Cao, associate professor in psychiatry (adjunct in computing science) and Canada Research Chair in Computational Psychiatry, who also won the award in 2016.

“The BBRF Young Investigator Award is a prestigious international award that enables young scientists in psychiatry to perform innovative research,” says Cao. “Yang’s award is well deserved for his contribution to this field and his promising future projects in computational psychiatry.”

We asked Liu a few questions about his work and his award.

What does this award mean to you?

I am honoured to receive the BBRF Young Investigator Grant. This award is a recognition that I am doing impactful research in mental health, and opens up opportunities for me to further pursue my academic career. 

What are you currently working on?

My research generally focuses on technology-assisted early identification of mental disorders and their risk factors. I am currently working on a project using a machine-learning algorithm to make prospective and individual-level predictions of opioid overdose using population-level administrative health data from Alberta. Soon I will work on prospective prediction and identification of sex-related risk factors of ADHD among children.

What do you think the next step in your career and research will be?

I am looking forward to furthering my research in technology-assisted mental health screening, early risk-factor identification, and facilitating early and preventive intervention. My next career goal is to obtain an independent researcher position, such as assistant professor, matching my research expertise.  

Liu’s research is supported by a 2023 Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.