Emily Olfson, MD/PhD
Cards
Appointments
Additional Titles
Solnit Integrated Program, Yale Child Study Center
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Solnit Integrated Program, Yale Child Study Center
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Solnit Integrated Program, Yale Child Study Center
Contact Info
About
Titles
Assistant Professor in the Child Study Center
Solnit Integrated Program, Yale Child Study Center
Biography
Emily Olfson is a physician-scientist whose research focuses on the genetics of childhood-onset psychiatric conditions. She received her MD-PhD from Washington University in St. Louis where her dissertation in Human and Statistical Genetics focused on the genetics of smoking and alcoholism in the laboratory of Dr. Laura Bierut. She then completed residency and fellowship training in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry in the Yale Solnit Integrated Program. At Yale, Dr. Olfson also pursued research training focused on the neurogenomics of trichotillomania, excoriation disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and childhood anxiety disorders in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Fernandez. Under the mentorship of Dr. Fernandez and Dr. Michael Bloch, she has developed the first DNA sequencing study focused on parent-child trios impacted by body-focused repetitive behaviors (tabsstudy.org). Dr. Olfson works clinically with adults and children in the Tic and OCD Program in the Yale Child Study Center. She has received research support from the NIMH, AACAP, IOCDF, Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation, and Alan B. Slifka Foundation through the Riva Ariella Ritvo endowment.
Appointments
Child Study Center
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Albert J. Solnit Integrated Training Program
- Child Study Center
- Fernandez Lab
- Janeway Society
- Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, and Physiology
- Neuroscience Research Training Program (NRTP)
- Program in Neurodevelopment and Regeneration
- Program in Translational Biomedicine (PTB)
- Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
- Yale Medicine
Education & Training
- Fellowship
- Yale School of Medicine, Child Study Center (2022)
- Residency
- Yale School of Medicine, Psychiatry (2021)
- MD/PhD
- Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Human and Statistical Genetics (2016)
- BA
- Oberlin College, Biology and Mathematics
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Michael Bloch, MD, MS
Thomas Fernandez, MD
Abha Gupta, MD, PhD
Catherine Sullivan
Ellen J. Hoffman, MD, PhD
Sarah Barbara Abdallah, MD
Trichotillomania
Genomics
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Genetics
Anxiety Disorders
Publications
2024
Rare de novo damaging DNA variants are enriched in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and implicate risk genes
Olfson E, Farhat L, Liu W, Vitulano L, Zai G, Lima M, Parent J, Polanczyk G, Cappi C, Kennedy J, Fernandez T. Rare de novo damaging DNA variants are enriched in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and implicate risk genes. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 5870. PMID: 38997333, PMCID: PMC11245598, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50247-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDNA sequencesRisk genesHigh-confidence risk genesWhole-exome DNA sequencingSequencing of familiesIdentified de novoLysine demethylase 5BDNA variantsTrio cohortBiological pathwaysGenesSequencing cohortGenetic factorsChildhood neurodevelopmental disordersAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderSequenceVariantsADHD riskNeurodevelopmental disordersKDM5BDNAMutationsFamilyLysineDiscoveryThe genetics of trichotillomania and excoriation disorder: A systematic review
Reid M, Lin A, Farhat L, Fernandez T, Olfson E. The genetics of trichotillomania and excoriation disorder: A systematic review. Comprehensive Psychiatry 2024, 133: 152506. PMID: 38833896, DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152506.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsSystematic reviewGenome-wide researchGenome-wide associationDNA sequencing studiesDiscovery of risk genesWeb of ScienceGenetic factorsObsessive-compulsive disorderGenetic epidemiologyGenetic risk factorsSequencing studiesRisk genesGeneral populationMolecular geneticsExcoriation disorderRisk factorsGeneticsFirst-line medicationPsychiatric disordersObsessive-compulsive related disordersObsessive-compulsive disorder spectrumBody-focused repetitive behaviorsDevelopment of trichotillomaniaPsycINFOGenome
2023
Primary complex motor stereotypies are associated with de novo damaging DNA coding mutations that identify KDM5B as a risk gene
Fernandez T, Williams Z, Kline T, Rajendran S, Augustine F, Wright N, Sullivan C, Olfson E, Abdallah S, Liu W, Hoffman E, Gupta A, Singer H. Primary complex motor stereotypies are associated with de novo damaging DNA coding mutations that identify KDM5B as a risk gene. PLOS ONE 2023, 18: e0291978. PMID: 37788244, PMCID: PMC10547198, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291978.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRisk genesDe novo damaging variantsGene expression patternsWhole-exome DNA sequencingMid-fetal developmentAdditional risk genesHigh-confidence risk genesParent-child triosGene OntologyCell signalingExpression patternsCalcium ion transportFunctional convergenceCell cycleDamaging variantsGenesDNA sequencingDe novoASD probandsGenetic etiologyBiological mechanismsSequencingDNANetwork analysisIon transport25.4 Pharmacologic Interventions for Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder
Bloch M, Farhat L, Olfson E. 25.4 Pharmacologic Interventions for Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2023, 62: s363. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.07.760.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPediatric Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors: A Research Update on Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Strategies
Olfson E, Piacentini J. Pediatric Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors: A Research Update on Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Strategies. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2023, 62: s362. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.07.756.Peer-Reviewed Original Research25.1 Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder
Farhat L, Bloch M, Olfson E. 25.1 Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2023, 62: s362. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.07.757.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPrevalence and gender distribution of excoriation (skin-picking) disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Farhat L, Reid M, Bloch M, Olfson E. Prevalence and gender distribution of excoriation (skin-picking) disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal Of Psychiatric Research 2023, 161: 412-418. PMID: 37023597, PMCID: PMC11137851, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.03.034.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsExcoriation disorderPublic health impactEpidemiological studiesGeneral populationSystematic reviewHealth impactsDifferent prevalence estimatesPooled prevalenceOverall prevalenceInclusion criteriaMale ratioPubMed searchPrevalence estimatesGender distributionDisordersPrevalenceDatabase searchEMBASEReviewPopulationPubMedPsycINFOStudyWomenCharacteristics of trichotillomania and excoriation disorder across the lifespan
Lin A, Farhat L, Flores J, Levine J, Fernandez T, Bloch M, Olfson E. Characteristics of trichotillomania and excoriation disorder across the lifespan. Psychiatry Research 2023, 322: 115120. PMID: 36842397, PMCID: PMC10023474, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115120.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsExcoriation disorderClinical characteristicsSkin-picking severityAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderCo-occurring conditionsBody-focused repetitive behaviorsObsessive-compulsive disorderSeverity scoreCurrent symptomsSignificant positive correlationTrichotillomaniaHyperactivity disorderDisordersSelf-reported anxietyAge 4High rateSubtypesSelf-report measuresSeverityCross-sectional survey responsesRepetitive behaviorsAdulthoodPositive correlation
2022
Prevalence and gender distribution of trichotillomania: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Thomson HA, Farhat LC, Olfson E, Levine JLS, Bloch MH. Prevalence and gender distribution of trichotillomania: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal Of Psychiatric Research 2022, 153: 73-81. PMID: 35802953, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.06.058.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsNoticeable hair lossHair-pulling behaviorOdds ratioHair lossPrevalence estimatesSystematic reviewGender distributionSignificant public health impactMental Disorders criteriaPublic health impactMale odds ratioFemale preponderanceEpidemiological studiesPrevalence dataUnderstudied conditionDisorder criteriaStatistical ManualTrichotillomaniaEpidemiological samplePrevalenceHealth impactsConsiderable heterogeneityDatabase searchAdditional researchFemalesWhole‐exome DNA sequencing in childhood anxiety disorders identifies rare de novo damaging coding variants
Olfson E, Lebowitz ER, Hommel G, Pashankar N, Silverman WK, Fernandez TV. Whole‐exome DNA sequencing in childhood anxiety disorders identifies rare de novo damaging coding variants. Depression And Anxiety 2022, 39: 474-484. PMID: 35312124, PMCID: PMC9246845, DOI: 10.1002/da.23251.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsWhole-exome DNA sequencingRisk genesDNA sequencingCanonical biological pathwaysMissense genetic variantsNovo variantsGenetic variant detectionParent-child triosGenomic approachesDe novo variantsLikely geneBiologic pathwaysDeleterious variantsBiological pathwaysDamaging variantsGenesGenetic variantsPathwayVariant detectionSequencingNetwork analysisGenetic factorsUnderlying biologyVariantsEnrichment
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
honor Career Development Award
National AwardNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)Details05/04/2022United States
News
News
- August 05, 2024
ADHD and DNA: Bedside-to-bench, International Study Sheds Light on Genetics
- June 10, 2024
Yale Child Study Center welcomes 2024 summer interns
- October 11, 2023
Yale Child Study Center Community Celebrates Professional Progression
- July 14, 2023
Welcoming new YCSC community members: July 2023