Jennifer Madigan, PhD

My research interests center on the genetic and biological mechanisms underlying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and stress-related conditions, with a particular emphasis on identifying heritable risk factors and biomarkers of stress response. This work is informed by my background in molecular biology and endocrinology, especially the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and focuses on integrating biological insight into large-scale genomic analyses.

I primarily work with data from the Million Veteran Program (MVP) and the All of Us Research Program, leveraging these biobanks to investigate the genetic architecture of PTSD and related phenotypes in military and diverse civilian populations. My goal is to better understand the interplay between genetic risk and stress physiology to inform the development of precision-based approaches to PTSD diagnosis and treatment.

Through genome-wide analyses and collaboration with interdisciplinary research teams, I aim to advance our understanding of the etiology of PTSD and contribute to the identification of biomarkers that can ultimately improve clinical outcomes for individuals exposed to trauma.