Chairs:  Larry Alphs, MD, PhD; Michael Davidson, MD

This session will examine different approaches to conceptualizing the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and how these conceptual models differentially affect treatment development.  The session will open with presentations on the challenges facing the field in terms of identifying new treatments for schizophrenia. This will be followed with conceptualizing schizophrenia as  1) a disease of neurotransmitters; 2) a genetic disease and 3) as a disease of neurocircuits.  It is recognized that these conceptualizations are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but presentations supporting each of these viewpoints will attempt to demonstrate how these different ways of conceptualizing schizophrenia will lead to different approaches to developing treatments in terms of study design, methodological hurdle, statistical challenges and regulatory impact.  Issues will be identified and initial solutions presented followed by discussion amongst the speakers’ panel and the audience.