Consortium for Preclinical Psychiatric Research (CPPR)

Accelerating research translation in biological psychiatry

The CPPR is a national collaboration led by Associate Professor Rachel Hill, Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health. It was founded to break down silos and test causal hypotheses across many systems rather than in isolation. The consortium coordinates large-scale, standardised molecular data across models and aligns these efforts with human samples and imaging to support findings that are more robust and more translatable.

The problem

Mental disorders cause a major burden of disease. Progress is slowed by siloed efforts, inconsistent model selection, and a lack of cross-model data that point to causal pathways.

Why models matter

Models (animal model systems, stem cells, and related approaches) remain a critical tool in mental health research, allowing scientists to uncover new insights and develop treatments for complex psychiatric conditions. Selecting the appropriate model can be challenging due to the diversity of options and the inherent complexity of mental health, yet it is essential to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and real-world treatments. This challenge has been a significant barrier to progress.

The CPPR solution and impact

CPPR brings preclinical and clinical researchers together, standardises shared resources, and builds cross-model datasets so teams can choose the right model to compare across systems, and move faster from discovery to clinical impact. We meet monthly, maintain a catalogue-only Knowledge Bank, and lead two flagship projects: the Wellcome-supported Library of Animal Models and a national Omics Data Commons.

Partners