Featured Publications
Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of cannabis use disorder yields insight into disease biology and public health implications
Levey D, Galimberti M, Deak J, Wendt F, Bhattacharya A, Koller D, Harrington K, Quaden R, Johnson E, Gupta P, Biradar M, Lam M, Cooke M, Rajagopal V, Empke S, Zhou H, Nunez Y, Kranzler H, Edenberg H, Agrawal A, Smoller J, Lencz T, Hougaard D, Børglum A, Demontis D, Gaziano J, Gandal M, Polimanti R, Stein M, Gelernter J. Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of cannabis use disorder yields insight into disease biology and public health implications. Nature Genetics 2023, 55: 2094-2103. PMID: 37985822, PMCID: PMC10703690, DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01563-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSingle nucleotide polymorphism-based heritabilityMulti-ancestry genome-wide association studyAssociation studiesMillion Veteran ProgramGenome-wide association studiesWide significant lociWide association studySignificant lociReference panelSmall populationDisease biologyAncestryAmerican ancestryHeritabilityVeteran ProgramNumerous medical comorbiditiesLung cancer riskRelationship analysisLociBiologyPublic health implicationsEast AsiansPublic health consequencesMedical comorbiditiesCigarette smokingGenome-wide association studies and cross-population meta-analyses investigating short and long sleep duration
Austin-Zimmerman I, Levey D, Giannakopoulou O, Deak J, Galimberti M, Adhikari K, Zhou H, Denaxas S, Irizar H, Kuchenbaecker K, McQuillin A, Concato J, Buysse D, Gaziano J, Gottlieb D, Polimanti R, Stein M, Bramon E, Gelernter J. Genome-wide association studies and cross-population meta-analyses investigating short and long sleep duration. Nature Communications 2023, 14: 6059. PMID: 37770476, PMCID: PMC10539313, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41249-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAssociation studiesGenome-wide association studiesGenetic correlationsWide association studyLinkage disequilibrium scorePositive genetic correlationSleep traitsIndependent lociMillion Veteran ProgramTraitsAncestryUK BiobankVeteran ProgramMendelian randomisationLociHeritabilitySNPsPhenotypeEast AsiansSimilar patternCardiometabolic phenotypesGenome-wide association study of post-traumatic stress disorder reexperiencing symptoms in >165,000 US veterans
Gelernter J, Sun N, Polimanti R, Pietrzak R, Levey DF, Bryois J, Lu Q, Hu Y, Li B, Radhakrishnan K, Aslan M, Cheung KH, Li Y, Rajeevan N, Sayward F, Harrington K, Chen Q, Cho K, Pyarajan S, Sullivan PF, Quaden R, Shi Y, Hunter-Zinck H, Gaziano JM, Concato J, Zhao H, Stein MB. Genome-wide association study of post-traumatic stress disorder reexperiencing symptoms in >165,000 US veterans. Nature Neuroscience 2019, 22: 1394-1401. PMID: 31358989, PMCID: PMC6953633, DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0447-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesAssociation studiesHigh linkage disequilibrium regionLinkage disequilibrium regionWide association studyDisequilibrium regionBioinformatics analysisTranscriptomic profilesMillion Veteran ProgramChromosome 17Genetic risk factorsNew insightsUK Biobank dataReexperiencing of traumaStriatal medium spiny neuronsVeteran ProgramSignificant regionsCAMKVEuropean AmericansBiobank dataMedium spiny neuronsTCF4BiologyKANSL1African American cohort
2023
Depression pathophysiology, risk prediction of recurrence and comorbid psychiatric disorders using genome-wide analyses
Als T, Kurki M, Grove J, Voloudakis G, Therrien K, Tasanko E, Nielsen T, Naamanka J, Veerapen K, Levey D, Bendl J, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Zeng B, Demontis D, Rosengren A, Athanasiadis G, Bækved-Hansen M, Qvist P, Bragi Walters G, Thorgeirsson T, Stefánsson H, Musliner K, Rajagopal V, Farajzadeh L, Thirstrup J, Vilhjálmsson B, McGrath J, Mattheisen M, Meier S, Agerbo E, Stefánsson K, Nordentoft M, Werge T, Hougaard D, Mortensen P, Stein M, Gelernter J, Hovatta I, Roussos P, Daly M, Mors O, Palotie A, Børglum A. Depression pathophysiology, risk prediction of recurrence and comorbid psychiatric disorders using genome-wide analyses. Nature Medicine 2023, 29: 1832-1844. PMID: 37464041, PMCID: PMC10839245, DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02352-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSingle nucleotide polymorphism heritabilityGenome-wide analysisLikely causal genesFunctional genomics dataRisk variantsWide association studyPolygenic burdenPsychiatric disordersCausal genesPolygenic architectureGenomic dataRisk lociAssociation studiesSubgroups of depressionCause of disabilityDepression genetic riskCommon psychiatric disordersPrecision medicine approachCases of depressionOligodendrocyte lineageGenesLociConsiderable sex differencesGABAergic neuronsPsychiatric comorbidity
2022
Integrating human brain proteomic data with genome-wide association study findings identifies novel brain proteins in substance use traits
Toikumo S, Xu H, Gelernter J, Kember RL, Kranzler HR. Integrating human brain proteomic data with genome-wide association study findings identifies novel brain proteins in substance use traits. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022, 47: 2292-2299. PMID: 35941285, PMCID: PMC9630289, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01406-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSubstance use traitsProteome-wide association studyUse traitsProtein abundanceAssociation studiesBrain protein abundanceWide association studyGenome-wide association study summary statisticsHuman brain proteomeFine-mapping analysisGenetic risk lociBrain transcriptomic dataEuropean ancestry individualsOpioid use disorderProteomic abundanceTranscriptomic levelTranscriptomic dataAlcohol use disorderProteomic dataBrain proteomeGenetic lociTranscript levelsRisk lociGene expressionSignificant genes
2021
Genome-wide association study of stimulant dependence
Cox J, Sherva R, Wetherill L, Foroud T, Edenberg HJ, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J, Farrer LA. Genome-wide association study of stimulant dependence. Translational Psychiatry 2021, 11: 363. PMID: 34226506, PMCID: PMC8257618, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01440-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsStimulant dependenceAssociation studiesVoltage-gated channel proteinsGenome-wide association studiesNicotinic acetylcholine receptor genesTop GWAS signalsUse disordersAcetylcholine receptor genesWide association studyGWAS signalsSubstance use disordersEuropean ancestry subjectsNovel genesCocaine use disorderUsers of cocaineChannel proteinsGenetic studiesSpecific genetic factorsGenetics of AlcoholismSignificant pleiotropyGenome-wide association study of more than 40,000 bipolar disorder cases provides new insights into the underlying biology
Mullins N, Forstner AJ, O’Connell K, Coombes B, Coleman JRI, Qiao Z, Als TD, Bigdeli TB, Børte S, Bryois J, Charney AW, Drange OK, Gandal MJ, Hagenaars SP, Ikeda M, Kamitaki N, Kim M, Krebs K, Panagiotaropoulou G, Schilder BM, Sloofman LG, Steinberg S, Trubetskoy V, Winsvold BS, Won HH, Abramova L, Adorjan K, Agerbo E, Al Eissa M, Albani D, Alliey-Rodriguez N, Anjorin A, Antilla V, Antoniou A, Awasthi S, Baek JH, Bækvad-Hansen M, Bass N, Bauer M, Beins EC, Bergen SE, Birner A, Bøcker Pedersen C, Bøen E, Boks MP, Bosch R, Brum M, Brumpton BM, Brunkhorst-Kanaan N, Budde M, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Byerley W, Cairns M, Casas M, Cervantes P, Clarke TK, Cruceanu C, Cuellar-Barboza A, Cunningham J, Curtis D, Czerski PM, Dale AM, Dalkner N, David FS, Degenhardt F, Djurovic S, Dobbyn AL, Douzenis A, Elvsåshagen T, Escott-Price V, Ferrier IN, Fiorentino A, Foroud TM, Forty L, Frank J, Frei O, Freimer NB, Frisén L, Gade K, Garnham J, Gelernter J, Giørtz Pedersen M, Gizer IR, Gordon SD, Gordon-Smith K, Greenwood TA, Grove J, Guzman-Parra J, Ha K, Haraldsson M, Hautzinger M, Heilbronner U, Hellgren D, Herms S, Hoffmann P, Holmans PA, Huckins L, Jamain S, Johnson JS, Kalman JL, Kamatani Y, Kennedy JL, Kittel-Schneider S, Knowles JA, Kogevinas M, Koromina M, Kranz TM, Kranzler HR, Kubo M, Kupka R, Kushner SA, Lavebratt C, Lawrence J, Leber M, Lee HJ, Lee PH, Levy SE, Lewis C, Liao C, Lucae S, Lundberg M, MacIntyre DJ, Magnusson SH, Maier W, Maihofer A, Malaspina D, Maratou E, Martinsson L, Mattheisen M, McCarroll SA, McGregor NW, McGuffin P, McKay JD, Medeiros H, Medland SE, Millischer V, Montgomery GW, Moran JL, Morris DW, Mühleisen TW, O’Brien N, O’Donovan C, Olde Loohuis LM, Oruc L, Papiol S, Pardiñas AF, Perry A, Pfennig A, Porichi E, Potash JB, Quested D, Raj T, Rapaport MH, DePaulo JR, Regeer EJ, Rice JP, Rivas F, Rivera M, Roth J, Roussos P, Ruderfer DM, Sánchez-Mora C, Schulte EC, Senner F, Sharp S, Shilling PD, Sigurdsson E, Sirignano L, Slaney C, Smeland OB, Smith DJ, Sobell JL, Søholm Hansen C, Soler Artigas M, Spijker AT, Stein DJ, Strauss JS, Świątkowska B, Terao C, Thorgeirsson TE, Toma C, Tooney P, Tsermpini EE, Vawter MP, Vedder H, Walters JTR, Witt SH, Xi S, Xu W, Yang JMK, Young AH, Young H, Zandi PP, Zhou H, Zillich L, Adolfsson R, Agartz I, Alda M, Alfredsson L, Babadjanova G, Backlund L, Baune B, Bellivier F, Bengesser S, Berrettini W, Blackwood D, Boehnke M, Børglum A, Breen G, Carr V, Catts S, Corvin A, Craddock N, Dannlowski U, Dikeos D, Esko T, Etain B, Ferentinos P, Frye M, Fullerton J, Gawlik M, Gershon E, Goes F, Green M, Grigoroiu-Serbanescu M, Hauser J, Henskens F, Hillert J, Hong K, Hougaard D, Hultman C, Hveem K, Iwata N, Jablensky A, Jones I, Jones L, Kahn R, Kelsoe J, Kirov G, Landén M, Leboyer M, Lewis C, Li Q, Lissowska J, Lochner C, Loughland C, Martin N, Mathews C, Mayoral F, McElroy S, McIntosh A, McMahon F, Melle I, Michie P, Milani L, Mitchell P, Morken G, Mors O, Mortensen P, Mowry B, Müller-Myhsok B, Myers R, Neale B, Nievergelt C, Nordentoft M, Nöthen M, O’Donovan M, Oedegaard K, Olsson T, Owen M, Paciga S, Pantelis C, Pato C, Pato M, Patrinos G, Perlis R, Posthuma D, Ramos-Quiroga J, Reif A, Reininghaus E, Ribasés M, Rietschel M, Ripke S, Rouleau G, Saito T, Schall U, Schalling M, Schofield P, Schulze T, Scott L, Scott R, Serretti A, Shannon Weickert C, Smoller J, Stefansson H, Stefansson K, Stordal E, Streit F, Sullivan P, Turecki G, Vaaler A, Vieta E, Vincent J, Waldman I, Weickert T, Werge T, Wray N, Zwart J, Biernacka J, Nurnberger J, Cichon S, Edenberg H, Stahl E, McQuillin A, Di Florio A, Ophoff R, Andreassen O. Genome-wide association study of more than 40,000 bipolar disorder cases provides new insights into the underlying biology. Nature Genetics 2021, 53: 817-829. PMID: 34002096, PMCID: PMC8192451, DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00857-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAssociation studiesQuantitative trait loci dataExpression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) dataGenome-wide association studiesBipolar disorder casesBrain-expressed genesWide association studyHeritable mental illnessSynaptic signaling pathwaysGenomic lociTargets of antipsychoticsLoci dataImperfect genetic correlationGene expressionSignaling pathwaysFunctional followGenesGenetic correlationsDruggable targetsSignal enrichmentEuropean ancestryLociBipolar disorder risk allelesNew insightsTherapeutic leads
2020
Reproducible Genetic Risk Loci for Anxiety: Results From ∼200,000 Participants in the Million Veteran Program
Levey DF, Gelernter J, Polimanti R, Zhou H, Cheng Z, Aslan M, Quaden R, Concato J, Radhakrishnan K, Bryois J, Sullivan PF, Stein M. Reproducible Genetic Risk Loci for Anxiety: Results From ∼200,000 Participants in the Million Veteran Program. American Journal Of Psychiatry 2020, 177: 223-232. PMID: 31906708, PMCID: PMC7869502, DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19030256.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNovel genome-wide significant associationsGene expressionGenome-wide significant signalsGenome-wide significant associationMillion Veteran ProgramWide association studyGenetic risk lociSignificant genetic correlationsGenetic risk mechanismsGenetic architectureGlobal regulatorChromosome 3Risk lociChromosome 6Chromosome 7Association studiesLargest GWASLarge biobanksGlobal regulationGenetic correlationsContinuous traitsVeteran ProgramGWASsLociPrevious GWASsA genome-wide association study of cocaine use disorder accounting for phenotypic heterogeneity and gene–environment interaction
Sun J, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J, Bi J. A genome-wide association study of cocaine use disorder accounting for phenotypic heterogeneity and gene–environment interaction. Journal Of Psychiatry And Neuroscience 2020, 45: 34-44. PMID: 31490055, PMCID: PMC6919916, DOI: 10.1503/jpn.180098.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenetic lociGenome-wide association testsPhenotypic heterogeneityNew genetic lociGenetic variantsWide association studyGene-environment interplayNovel genetic variantsHigh heritability estimatesSignificant genomeReplication sampleSingle nucleotide polymorphismsGenetic variationAssociation studiesLociNucleotide polymorphismsAssociation TestHeritability estimatesGene-environment interactionsReplication resultsCluster analysisEnvironmental factorsTRAK2GenomeDiscovery phase
2019
Genome‐wide scan identifies opioid overdose risk locus close to MCOLN1
Cheng Z, Yang B, Zhou H, Nunez Y, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J. Genome‐wide scan identifies opioid overdose risk locus close to MCOLN1. Addiction Biology 2019, 25: e12811. PMID: 31362332, PMCID: PMC7485539, DOI: 10.1111/adb.12811.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesMucolipin-1Expression profilesGenome-wide significant signalsAssociation studiesPost-GWAS analysisWide association studyDrug repositioning analysisCation channel activityFunctional categoriesConnectivity Map databaseDrug targetsRisk genesGenesChannel activityPatatin-like phospholipaseNetwork analysisPNPLA6Significant signalEuropean AmericansGenome-wide Association Study of Maximum Habitual Alcohol Intake in >140,000 U.S. European and African American Veterans Yields Novel Risk Loci
Gelernter J, Sun N, Polimanti R, Pietrzak RH, Levey DF, Lu Q, Hu Y, Li B, Radhakrishnan K, Aslan M, Cheung KH, Li Y, Rajeevan N, Sayward F, Harrington K, Chen Q, Cho K, Honerlaw J, Pyarajan S, Lencz T, Quaden R, Shi Y, Hunter-Zinck H, Gaziano JM, Kranzler HR, Concato J, Zhao H, Stein MB, Program D, Program M. Genome-wide Association Study of Maximum Habitual Alcohol Intake in >140,000 U.S. European and African American Veterans Yields Novel Risk Loci. Biological Psychiatry 2019, 86: 365-376. PMID: 31151762, PMCID: PMC6919570, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.03.984.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAdditional genome-wide significant lociRisk lociWide association study (GWAS) analysisAssociation studiesGenome-wide significant lociGenome-wide association studiesGenetic correlationsWide association studyNovel risk lociAlcohol-related traitsStrong statistical supportSmoking-related traitsAdditional genomesSignificant lociPancreatic delta cellsChromosome 4Chromosome 11Protein productsChromosome 8Quantitative phenotypesMillion Veteran ProgramVeterans Affairs Million Veteran ProgramLociCell typesChromosome 17Genetic associations with suicide attempt severity and genetic overlap with major depression
Levey DF, Polimanti R, Cheng Z, Zhou H, Nuñez YZ, Jain S, He F, Sun X, Ursano RJ, Kessler RC, Smoller JW, Stein MB, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J. Genetic associations with suicide attempt severity and genetic overlap with major depression. Translational Psychiatry 2019, 9: 22. PMID: 30655502, PMCID: PMC6336846, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0340-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGWS associationsGenome-wide significant signalsCircadian clock regulationWide association studyGenetic overlapCatabolism of tyrosineClock regulationFirst GWASSignificant genetic overlapDiscovery GWASChromosome 12Large GWASMolecular mechanismsAssociation studiesChromosome 15Chromosome 18Genetic influencesDiscovery sampleGenetic associationSuicide attempt severityReplication analysisGWASAnaerobic energy productionGenetic risk factorsPolygenic risk scores
2017
Schizophrenia and substance use comorbidity: a genome-wide perspective
Polimanti R, Agrawal A, Gelernter J. Schizophrenia and substance use comorbidity: a genome-wide perspective. Genome Medicine 2017, 9: 25. PMID: 28327175, PMCID: PMC5359801, DOI: 10.1186/s13073-017-0423-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSubstance use disordersPublic health messagesPremature mortalityPsychiatric disordersUse disordersDual diagnosisHealth messagesRecent genetic investigationsDiagnosisSchizophreniaDisordersGenetic investigationsWide association studyAssociation studiesComorbiditiesMortalityGenome-wide perspective
2016
Evidence of Polygenic Adaptation in the Systems Genetics of Anthropometric Traits
Polimanti R, Yang BZ, Zhao H, Gelernter J. Evidence of Polygenic Adaptation in the Systems Genetics of Anthropometric Traits. PLOS ONE 2016, 11: e0160654. PMID: 27537407, PMCID: PMC4990182, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160654.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPolygenic adaptationNatural selectionSystems geneticsProtein interaction networksWide association studyPolygenic mechanismsEuropean populationsPolygenic selectionAnthropometric traitsGene networksHuman genomeEpistatic interactionsInteraction networksEnrichment analysisGenetic signaturesSystems biologyAssociation studiesLipid transportMolecular processesAdaptation signalsLocomotory behaviorTraitsSelective mechanismGeneticsInfection resistance
2015
The genetics of alcohol dependence: Twin and SNP‐based heritability, and genome‐wide association study based on AUDIT scores
Mbarek H, Milaneschi Y, Fedko IO, Hottenga JJ, de Moor MH, Jansen R, Gelernter J, Sherva R, Willemsen G, Boomsma DI, Penninx BW, Vink JM. The genetics of alcohol dependence: Twin and SNP‐based heritability, and genome‐wide association study based on AUDIT scores. American Journal Of Medical Genetics Part B Neuropsychiatric Genetics 2015, 168: 739-748. PMID: 26365420, DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32379.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide complex trait analysisWide association studySNP effect concordance analysisAssociation studiesTop hitsSNP-based heritabilityTwin-based heritabilityPrevious genetic studiesComplex trait analysisFirst GWASGenetic basisTrait analysisGenetic studiesCommon SNPsSNP effectsPrevious GWASGWASLarge-scale biobanksHeritabilityHeritability estimatesDissecting ancestry genomic background in substance dependence genome-wide association studies
Polimanti R, Yang C, Zhao H, Gelernter J. Dissecting ancestry genomic background in substance dependence genome-wide association studies. Pharmacogenomics 2015, 16: 1487-1498. PMID: 26267224, PMCID: PMC4632979, DOI: 10.2217/pgs.15.91.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAlcoholismAlgorithmsAllelesBlack or African AmericanGene FrequencyGene-Environment InteractionGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenetic VariationGenome-Wide Association StudyHaplotypesHumansMolecular Sequence AnnotationOpioid-Related DisordersSubstance-Related DisordersTobacco Use DisorderWhite PeopleConceptsGenome-wide association studiesGenomic backgroundFunctional allelesAssociation studiesCommon functional allelesWide association studyLocal haplotype structureGenetic lociSD traitHaplotype structureRelevant genesGenesLociInteractive partnersPopulation diversityHigh frequency differencesAllelesFrequency differenceGenomeTraitsDiversityRoleVariants
2014
Genome-Wide Association Study of Copy Number Variations (CNVs) with Opioid Dependence
Li D, Zhao H, Kranzler HR, Li MD, Jensen KP, Zayats T, Farrer LA, Gelernter J. Genome-Wide Association Study of Copy Number Variations (CNVs) with Opioid Dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014, 40: 1016-1026. PMID: 25345593, PMCID: PMC4330517, DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.290.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAlpha CateninChromosome DeletionChromosome DisordersChromosomes, Human, Pair 18DNA Copy Number VariationsFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenome-Wide Association StudyGenotypeHumansLeukocyte Common AntigensMaleMeta-Analysis as TopicOpioid-Related DisordersReceptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 2ConceptsCopy number variationsAssociation studiesNumber variationsGenome-wide association studiesWide association studyUnique copy number variationsCommon copy number variationFirst GWASHarbor genesMissing heritabilityHuman genomeGenomic variationBiological importanceGenomeGenesGenetic risk factorsHeritabilitySubstance dependence riskGWASDuplicationDeletionReplicationPolymorphismVariationSmall proportion