The primary area of interest in the laboratory is the genetics of psychiatric disorders. It is clear that there is a genetic component to the susceptibility to most major psychiatric disorders, like anxiety, mood, and childhood developmental disorders. But as with complex genetic disorders like diabetes and hypertension, identifying genes for psychiatric conditions has proven difficult. Advances in molecular genetics promise to make the mapping of genes for mood and anxiety disorder more efficient and productive. We are using such techniques in the laboratory as tools for isolating genes for psychiatric disorders and for determining which genes are involved with a clinical response to antidepressant medication. We have three main areas of research.

Gene-mapping of human psychiatric disorders: We are utilizing collections of pedigrees in order to localize genes that are involved with common psychiatric disorders. Using a combination of linkage and association analyses in combination with high throughput SNP genotyping and DNA sequencing, we hope to identify genes for panic disorder, schizophrenia, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Pharmacogenomics of antidepressant response: Response to medications like antidepressants is highly variable, and appears to have a genetic component. This project involves large-scale analysis of DNA variations in candidate genes relevant to pharmacotherapy in a population of depressives treated with fluoxetine (Prozac) and citalopram (Celexa). We have observed that particular genes involved with monoamine function are associated with medication response. Our goal is to determine if genetic differentiation of depressives who are responders to specific medication from non-responders may be a tool for developing a rational, genetically-informed psychopharmacology.

Canine behavioral genetics: Dogs are being increasingly scrutinized as models for human medical conditions, and the unique genetic history of the domestic dog should facilitate gene mapping efforts for relevant diseases, including behavioral disorders which are common in the dog. In collaboration with veterinary behavioral experts, our goal is to collect canine pedigrees segregating behavioral syndromes that may serve as genetic models for human disorders. We are currently characterizing the patterns of DNA variation in a number of dog breeds.