NCCR-Synapsy

The Synaptic Bases of Mental Diseases

Maternal exposure to violence and child psychopathology

Synapsy has been following the children of mothers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to interpersonal violence since they were 12 months of age. They are now reaching maturity, just like research projects designed to understand and treat stress-related disorders. Read more…


Daniel Schechter receives the Kernberg Award for Pioneering Research in Childhood Mental Health

Professor Daniel Schechter received the Kernberg Award from the Weill College of Medicine of Cornell University (New York), for « his pioneering work on maternal trauma and childhood mental health ». The award was presented following his delivery of the Read more…


PTSD: Daniel Schechter Published a New Study on Parental Reflective Functioning

Parental Reflective Functioning is a parent’s capacity to infer mental states in herself and her child. Parental Reflective Functioning is linked to the quality of parent-child attachment and promotes parent-child mutual emotion regulation. The group of Daniel Schechter, Medical Director Read more…


Public Lecture – Daniel Schechter

public conference

Public lecture (April 15) by Professor Daniel Schechter as part of his appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. « The trauma-imbued care-giving environment during early sensitive periods for emotion regulation : Longitudinal findings » LOCATION : UNIGE Read more…


Mindfulness to treat anxiety in high-risk adolescents of WP#4

logo mindfulteen

Anxiety and stress regulation will be the focus of Phase-3 investigations in high-risk clinical cohort of Synapsy’s WP#4 (Developmental Stress). Synapsy clinical researchers Dr. Camille Piguet and Dr. Paul Klauser, together with Dr. Daniel Schechter have launched a collaborative study Read more…


Parent’s tough childhood can cast shadow across generations

parents arguing

When a parent has suffered abuse or other adversities as a child, their children may be more prone to mood and behavior problems, a new study suggests. Their kids were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder Read more…


Synapsy conference highlighted at UNIGE

Journal UNIGE no 140 cover

In the UNIGE-Journal no 140, two articles regarding Synapsy : “A baby is not a blank page” Psychologists now have tools to better understand how babies develop cognitive and affective skills, paving the way for earlier, more targeted treatment of Read more…


N. & C. Rieger Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Award 2017 to Daniel Schechter

Dan Schechter portrait

Dr. Daniel S. Schechter completed undergraduate studies at the Oberlin Conservatory and Columbia College before pursuing an MA in music at the Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Schechter then obtained his MD at Columbia College of Physicians Read more…


The brain, a mirror of the mother’s trauma

Schechter team

Previous studies have shown it is more difficult for mothers suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to a history of violent life events to react appropriately to their child in moments of stress (for example separations, conflicts, new Read more…