Paul successfully defended his PhD proposal on Monday, May 17, 2010.

TITLE:
Applying Nuclear Decay Models to Schizophrenia

ABSTRACT:
Schizophrenia is a crippling mental illness that disables schizophrenics for life. This disability is a burden shared by those affected and society. Research has not identified a definitive cause of schizophrenia, rather a patchwork of hypotheses have been advanced. A novel model that is isomorphic to the model governing radioactive decays sheds new light on schizophrenia.

A rich variety of epidemiological data is available to model. The model’s parameters have specific physical meaning, which serve as a guiding principle in searching for the causes of schizophrenia. This model will challenge the conventional wisdom about schizophrenia and explain various features of schizophrenia epidemiology. Preliminary results show a majority of the population is immune to schizophrenia. The model points towards the physical processes associated with the etiology of schizophrenia.