2021
Bi-ancestral depression GWAS in the Million Veteran Program and meta-analysis in >1.2 million individuals highlight new therapeutic directions
Levey DF, Stein MB, Wendt FR, Pathak GA, Zhou H, Aslan M, Quaden R, Harrington KM, Nuñez YZ, Overstreet C, Radhakrishnan K, Sanacora G, McIntosh AM, Shi J, Shringarpure SS, Concato J, Polimanti R, Gelernter J. Bi-ancestral depression GWAS in the Million Veteran Program and meta-analysis in >1.2 million individuals highlight new therapeutic directions. Nature Neuroscience 2021, 24: 954-963. PMID: 34045744, PMCID: PMC8404304, DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00860-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTranscriptome-wide association studyMillion Veteran ProgramTranscriptome-wide association study (TWAS) analysisGenomic risk lociComplex psychiatric traitsGenetic architectureRisk lociGene expressionAssociation studiesLikely pathogenicityPsychiatric traitsVeteran ProgramNew therapeutic directionEuropean ancestryNew insightsAncestryUK BiobankAfrican ancestrySubstantial replicationExpressionLarge independent cohortsGWASTherapeutic directionsGenesLociGenome-wide association analyses of post-traumatic stress disorder and its symptom subdomains in the Million Veteran Program
Stein MB, Levey DF, Cheng Z, Wendt FR, Harrington K, Pathak GA, Cho K, Quaden R, Radhakrishnan K, Girgenti MJ, Ho YA, Posner D, Aslan M, Duman RS, Zhao H, Polimanti R, Concato J, Gelernter J. Genome-wide association analyses of post-traumatic stress disorder and its symptom subdomains in the Million Veteran Program. Nature Genetics 2021, 53: 174-184. PMID: 33510476, PMCID: PMC7972521, DOI: 10.1038/s41588-020-00767-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association analysisAssociation analysisMillion Veteran ProgramGenomic structural equation modelingSignificant lociGenetic varianceGene expressionDrug repositioning candidatesBiological coherenceVeteran ProgramMultiple testing correctionSymptom phenotypeLociRepositioning candidatesAfrican ancestryHeritabilityPhenotypeAncestryExpressionPTSD symptom factorsRegionSubdomainsEnrichment
2023
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 smokingMulti-ancestry study of the genetics of problematic alcohol use in over 1 million individuals
Zhou H, Kember R, Deak J, Xu H, Toikumo S, Yuan K, Lind P, Farajzadeh L, Wang L, Hatoum A, Johnson J, Lee H, Mallard T, Xu J, Johnston K, Johnson E, Nielsen T, Galimberti M, Dao C, Levey D, Overstreet C, Byrne E, Gillespie N, Gordon S, Hickie I, Whitfield J, Xu K, Zhao H, Huckins L, Davis L, Sanchez-Roige S, Madden P, Heath A, Medland S, Martin N, Ge T, Smoller J, Hougaard D, Børglum A, Demontis D, Krystal J, Gaziano J, Edenberg H, Agrawal A, Justice A, Stein M, Kranzler H, Gelernter J. Multi-ancestry study of the genetics of problematic alcohol use in over 1 million individuals. Nature Medicine 2023, 29: 3184-3192. PMID: 38062264, PMCID: PMC10719093, DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02653-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-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 phenotypesDepression 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 comorbidityEpidemiologic and Genetic Associations of Endometriosis With Depression, Anxiety, and Eating Disorders
Koller D, Pathak G, Wendt F, Tylee D, Levey D, Overstreet C, Gelernter J, Taylor H, Polimanti R. Epidemiologic and Genetic Associations of Endometriosis With Depression, Anxiety, and Eating Disorders. JAMA Network Open 2023, 6: e2251214. PMID: 36652249, PMCID: PMC9856929, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.51214.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychiatric comorbidityMAIN OUTCOMEMental healthIrritable bowel syndromeBody mass indexAssociation of endometriosisOdds of depressionSevere physical symptomsPain-related phenotypesWomen's mental healthMultivariate regression analysisOdds of endometriosisBowel syndromeGenetic associationMass indexGynecologic pathologyMillion Veteran ProgramEndometriosisPsychiatric disordersWomen's healthFemale controlsPleiotropic mechanismsPhysical symptomsComorbiditiesFinnGen study
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 GWASsGenome-wide meta-analysis of problematic alcohol use in 435,563 individuals yields insights into biology and relationships with other traits
Zhou H, Sealock JM, Sanchez-Roige S, Clarke TK, Levey DF, Cheng Z, Li B, Polimanti R, Kember RL, Smith RV, Thygesen JH, Morgan MY, Atkinson SR, Thursz MR, Nyegaard M, Mattheisen M, Børglum AD, Johnson EC, Justice AC, Palmer AA, McQuillin A, Davis LK, Edenberg HJ, Agrawal A, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J. Genome-wide meta-analysis of problematic alcohol use in 435,563 individuals yields insights into biology and relationships with other traits. Nature Neuroscience 2020, 23: 809-818. PMID: 32451486, PMCID: PMC7485556, DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0643-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRegulatory genomic regionsGenome-wide association studiesNovel risk lociEuropean ancestry individualsPolygenic risk score analysisIndependent risk variantsGenetic architectureGenomic regionsRisk lociAssociation studiesGenetic relationshipsRisk genesGenetic correlationsPsychiatric traitsRisk variantsRisk score analysisTraitsGenetic heritabilityYields insightsBiobank samplesMendelian randomizationGenesLociBiologyHeritability
2024
A genome-wide investigation into the underlying genetic architecture of personality traits and overlap with psychopathology
Gupta P, Galimberti M, Liu Y, Beck S, Wingo A, Wingo T, Adhikari K, Kranzler H, Stein M, Gelernter J, Levey D. A genome-wide investigation into the underlying genetic architecture of personality traits and overlap with psychopathology. Nature Human Behaviour 2024, 8: 2235-2249. PMID: 39134740, PMCID: PMC11576509, DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01951-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPersonality traitsPsychiatric traitsBidirectional effectsGenetic architectureHuman personality traitsGenetic correlation analysisGene-based association testsGenome-wide significant lociNeuroticismAgreeablenessGenome-wide association studiesGenome-wide association study meta-analysisMental illnessGenome-wide investigationAssociation TestComplex human traitsProteome-wide analysisAnxietyDepressionExtraversionConscientiousnessExpression of genesNovel lociSignificant lociTranscriptome-wideMulti-ancestry genome-wide association study of major depression aids locus discovery, fine mapping, gene prioritization and causal inference
Meng X, Navoly G, Giannakopoulou O, Levey D, Koller D, Pathak G, Koen N, Lin K, Adams M, Rentería M, Feng Y, Gaziano J, Stein D, Zar H, Campbell M, van Heel D, Trivedi B, Finer S, McQuillin A, Bass N, Chundru V, Martin H, Huang Q, Valkovskaya M, Chu C, Kanjira S, Kuo P, Chen H, Tsai S, Liu Y, Kendler K, Peterson R, Cai N, Fang Y, Sen S, Scott L, Burmeister M, Loos R, Preuss M, Actkins K, Davis L, Uddin M, Wani A, Wildman D, Aiello A, Ursano R, Kessler R, Kanai M, Okada Y, Sakaue S, Rabinowitz J, Maher B, Uhl G, Eaton W, Cruz-Fuentes C, Martinez-Levy G, Campos A, Millwood I, Chen Z, Li L, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Jiang Y, Tian C, Martin N, Mitchell B, Byrne E, Awasthi S, Coleman J, Ripke S, Sofer T, Walters R, McIntosh A, Polimanti R, Dunn E, Stein M, Gelernter J, Lewis C, Kuchenbaecker K. Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of major depression aids locus discovery, fine mapping, gene prioritization and causal inference. Nature Genetics 2024, 56: 222-233. PMID: 38177345, PMCID: PMC10864182, DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01596-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-wide meta-analysis of myasthenia gravis uncovers new loci and provides insights into polygenic prediction
Braun A, Shekhar S, Levey D, Straub P, Kraft J, Panagiotaropoulou G, Heilbron K, Awasthi S, Meleka Hanna R, Hoffmann S, Stein M, Lehnerer S, Mergenthaler P, Elnahas A, Topaloudi A, Koromina M, Palviainen T, Asbjornsdottir B, Stefansson H, Skuladóttir A, Jónsdóttir I, Stefansson K, Reis K, Esko T, Palotie A, Leypoldt F, Stein M, Fontanillas P, Kaprio J, Gelernter J, Davis L, Paschou P, Tannemaat M, Verschuuren J, Kuhlenbäumer G, Gregersen P, Huijbers M, Stascheit F, Meisel A, Ripke S. Genome-wide meta-analysis of myasthenia gravis uncovers new loci and provides insights into polygenic prediction. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 9839. PMID: 39537604, PMCID: PMC11560923, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53595-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPerformance of polygenic risk scoresGenome-wide significant hitsGenome-wide association studiesGenome-wide meta-analysisControls of European ancestryGenetic architecturePolygenic risk scoresSignificant hitsAssociation studiesPhenotypic variationPolygenic predictionEuropean ancestryAssociated with early-onsetHuman leukocyte antigen allelesLociEarly-onsetReplication studyNeuromuscular junctionMyasthenia gravisAutoantibody-mediated diseasesAntigen allelesAllelesAncestryDisease manifestationsLate-onset MGEXPLORING THE IMMUNOGENETIC BASIS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
Braun A, Maihofer A, Katrinli S, Panagiotaropoulou G, Levey D, Ripke S, Gelernter J, Nievergelt C, Group P. EXPLORING THE IMMUNOGENETIC BASIS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2024, 87: 4-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.017.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-wide association studiesAssociation analysisPost-traumatic stress disorderMajor histocompatibility complexHuman leukocyte antigen imputationComplex linkage disequilibrium structureGenomes reference panelLinkage disequilibrium structureMajor histocompatibility complex class III regionRisk-conferring allelesClass III regionPsychiatric Genomics ConsortiumHuman leukocyte antigen allelesMillion Veteran ProgramDisequilibrium structureLatin American ancestryRisk lociRisk-conferring variantsCross-ancestryAssociation studiesPopulation stratificationReference panelGenetic variantsSusceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorderAmerican ancestry
2022
Understanding the comorbidity between posttraumatic stress severity and coronary artery disease using genome-wide information and electronic health records
Polimanti R, Wendt FR, Pathak GA, Tylee DS, Tcheandjieu C, Hilliard AT, Levey DF, Adhikari K, Gaziano JM, O’Donnell C, Assimes TL, Stein MB, Gelernter J. Understanding the comorbidity between posttraumatic stress severity and coronary artery disease using genome-wide information and electronic health records. Molecular Psychiatry 2022, 27: 3961-3969. PMID: 35986173, PMCID: PMC10986859, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01735-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCoronary artery diseasePosttraumatic stress disorderElectronic health recordsMillion Veteran ProgramArtery diseaseTotal scoreCAD diagnosisPlatelet amyloid precursor proteinHealth recordsPosttraumatic stress severityAmyloid precursor proteinEarly CAD diagnosisUK BiobankBidirectional relationshipTwo-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysisMendelian randomization analysisCAD riskHigh morbidityPTSD symptom severityCARDIoGRAMplusC4D consortiumPleiotropic mechanismsSymptom severityLongitudinal changesDiscordant effectsStress disorderGenome-wide association study in individuals of European and African ancestry and multi-trait analysis of opioid use disorder identifies 19 independent genome-wide significant risk loci
Deak JD, Zhou H, Galimberti M, Levey DF, Wendt FR, Sanchez-Roige S, Hatoum AS, Johnson EC, Nunez YZ, Demontis D, Børglum AD, Rajagopal VM, Jennings MV, Kember RL, Justice AC, Edenberg HJ, Agrawal A, Polimanti R, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J. Genome-wide association study in individuals of European and African ancestry and multi-trait analysis of opioid use disorder identifies 19 independent genome-wide significant risk loci. Molecular Psychiatry 2022, 27: 3970-3979. PMID: 35879402, PMCID: PMC9718667, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01709-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesGenome-wide significant risk lociAssociation studiesVariant associationsLarge-scale genome-wide association studiesGenetic correlationsSignificant risk lociPsychiatric Genomics ConsortiumMulti-trait analysisPolygenic risk score analysisSingle-variant associationsGWS lociGenetic architectureIndividuals of EuropeanGWS associationsRisk lociGene regionGenomics ConsortiumMillion Veteran ProgramSusceptibility lociAfrican ancestryLociRisk score analysisGenetic informativenessSNPs oneAssociations between moderate alcohol consumption, brain iron, and cognition in UK Biobank participants: Observational and mendelian randomization analyses
Topiwala A, Wang C, Ebmeier KP, Burgess S, Bell S, Levey DF, Zhou H, McCracken C, Roca-Fernández A, Petersen SE, Raman B, Husain M, Gelernter J, Miller KL, Smith SM, Nichols TE. Associations between moderate alcohol consumption, brain iron, and cognition in UK Biobank participants: Observational and mendelian randomization analyses. PLOS Medicine 2022, 19: e1004039. PMID: 35834561, PMCID: PMC9282660, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004039.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAlcohol use disorderHigh brain ironModerate alcohol consumptionBrain ironAlcohol consumptionAlcohol intakeUse disordersSubstantia nigraAlcohol-related cognitive declineIron depositionBrain regionsSusceptibility-weighted magnetic resonanceIron accumulationIron levelsBrain iron depositionBrain iron levelsSystemic iron levelsSystemic iron storesAlcohol-related cognitive deficitsBasal ganglia ironElevated liver ironMendelian randomizationWeekly alcohol consumptionUK Biobank participantsExecutive functionGenome-wide meta-analysis of insomnia prioritizes genes associated with metabolic and psychiatric pathways
Watanabe K, Jansen PR, Savage JE, Nandakumar P, Wang X, Hinds D, Gelernter J, Levey D, Polimanti R, Stein M, Van Someren E, Smit A, Posthuma D. Genome-wide meta-analysis of insomnia prioritizes genes associated with metabolic and psychiatric pathways. Nature Genetics 2022, 54: 1125-1132. PMID: 35835914, DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01124-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRisk lociGenome-wide association studiesSpecific gene setsPrevious genome-wide association studyGene prioritization strategyExternal biological resourcesExtreme polygenicityExpression specificityAssociated lociSignaling functionsGene setsAssociation studiesNeuronal differentiationFunctional interactionGenesLociBiological resourcesPolygenicityNovel strategyPrioritization strategiesSpecific hypothesesDifferentiationPathwayStatistical powerLarge numberAn Atlas of Genetic Correlations and Genetically Informed Associations Linking Psychiatric and Immune-Related Phenotypes
Tylee DS, Lee YK, Wendt FR, Pathak GA, Levey DF, De Angelis F, Gelernter J, Polimanti R. An Atlas of Genetic Correlations and Genetically Informed Associations Linking Psychiatric and Immune-Related Phenotypes. JAMA Psychiatry 2022, 79: 667-676. PMID: 35507366, PMCID: PMC9069342, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.0914.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRisk factorsImmune-related phenotypesMultivariable adjustmentUlcerative colitisCrohn's diseaseMendelian randomizationImmune-related disordersReciprocal risk factorsHealth-related behaviorsPsychiatric phenotypesFalse discovery rate correctionAllergic rhinitisGenetic association studiesGenetic associationInflammatory disordersClinical associationsMajor depressionImmune disordersMAIN OUTCOMEPsychiatric disordersSocial determinantsDisordersAssociation studiesColitisAsthma
2019
Genome-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 cohortGenetic 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