Featured Publications
Cross-ancestry meta-analysis of opioid use disorder uncovers novel loci with predominant effects in brain regions associated with addiction
Kember RL, Vickers-Smith R, Xu H, Toikumo S, Niarchou M, Zhou H, Hartwell EE, Crist RC, Rentsch CT, Davis L, Justice A, Sanchez-Roige S, Kampman K, Gelernter J, Kranzler H. Cross-ancestry meta-analysis of opioid use disorder uncovers novel loci with predominant effects in brain regions associated with addiction. Nature Neuroscience 2022, 25: 1279-1287. PMID: 36171425, PMCID: PMC9682545, DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01160-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderGenome-wide association studiesWide significant lociGene expression enrichmentSignificant genetic correlationsCell type groupSignificant lociAssociation studiesExpression enrichmentMillion Veteran ProgramGenetic correlationsUse disordersLociBrain regionsExonic variantsIntronic variantsSubstance use disordersTraitsBiological basisOpioid epidemicPsychiatric disordersVeteran ProgramBrain diseasesTSNARE1FBXW4Bi-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 study of smoking trajectory and meta-analysis of smoking status in 842,000 individuals
Xu K, Li B, McGinnis KA, Vickers-Smith R, Dao C, Sun N, Kember RL, Zhou H, Becker WC, Gelernter J, Kranzler HR, Zhao H, Justice AC. Genome-wide association study of smoking trajectory and meta-analysis of smoking status in 842,000 individuals. Nature Communications 2020, 11: 5302. PMID: 33082346, PMCID: PMC7598939, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18489-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesLarge genome-wide association studiesMillion Veteran ProgramAssociation studiesExpression quantitative trait lociQuantitative trait lociChromatin interactionsComplex traitsFunctional annotationTrait lociSequencing ConsortiumDozen genesSignificant lociSmoking phenotypesLociMultiple populationsNew insightsPhenotypeVeteran ProgramGenetic vulnerabilityGenesTraitsAnnotationEuropean AmericansConsortiumReproducible 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 GWASs
2024
T4. RELATIONSHIP OF GENETICALLY-INDEXED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITH MENTAL DISORDERS
Galimberti M, Gupta P, Deak J, Dao C, Nitin R, Zhou H, Harrington K, Na P, Topiwala A, Davis L, Gaziano M, Levey D, Stein M, Gelernter J. T4. RELATIONSHIP OF GENETICALLY-INDEXED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITH MENTAL DISORDERS. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2024, 87: 157-158. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.314.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchProtective effect of PAMental health traitsMillion Veteran ProgramEffects of PAGenome-wide association studiesPhysical activityLocal genetic correlationAlcohol consumptionPosttraumatic stress disorderSmoking initiationLeisure time PARelationship of PAUse disorderMental health outcomesPsychiatric disordersSelf-reported informationSubstance useAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderGenetic correlation analysisLocal genetic correlation analysisTime PAGenome-wide association study statisticsHealth traitsMR analysisResults PAF96. ALCOHOL USE AND DEMENTIA IN DIVERSE POPULATIONS
Topiwala A, Levey D, Zhou H, Deak J, Adhikari K, Ebmeier K, Bell S, Burgess S, Nichols T, Gaziano M, Stein M, Gelernter J. F96. ALCOHOL USE AND DEMENTIA IN DIVERSE POPULATIONS. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2024, 87: 256-257. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.507.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMillion Veteran ProgramDementia riskMendelian randomizationDementia casesAlcohol usePrevalence of alcohol use disordersImpact of alcohol useRandom-effects meta-analysisAlcohol use disorder prevalenceProspective cohort studyStandard deviation increaseObservational associationsUK BiobankVeteran ProgramLevels of drinkingPopulation prevalenceAlcohol consumptionAlcohol use disorderCohort studyDisorder prevalenceDementiaDependent drinkersDose-response relationshipGenetic associationLight drinkersGenome-wide association study of the common retinal disorder epiretinal membrane: Significant risk loci in each of three American populations
Gelernter J, Levey D, Galimberti M, Harrington K, Zhou H, Adhikari K, Gupta P, Program V, Gaziano J, Eliott D, Stein M. Genome-wide association study of the common retinal disorder epiretinal membrane: Significant risk loci in each of three American populations. Cell Genomics 2024, 4: 100582. PMID: 38870908, PMCID: PMC11228954, DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100582.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesMillion Veteran ProgramRisk lociAssociation studiesTrans-ancestry meta-analysisSignificant risk lociPathway enrichment analysisEpiretinal membraneTrans-ancestryGenome-wideMultiple traitsGenetic associationEnrichment analysisGene expressionEuropean AmericansLoss of visual acuityVeteran ProgramGenetic correlationsLociBiological mechanismsAmerican populationVisual acuityRetinal conditionsControl individualsRetinal surfaceA multi-ancestry genetic study of pain intensity in 598,339 veterans
Toikumo S, Vickers-Smith R, Jinwala Z, Xu H, Saini D, Hartwell E, Pavicic M, Sullivan K, Xu K, Jacobson D, Gelernter J, Rentsch C, Stahl E, Cheatle M, Zhou H, Waxman S, Justice A, Kember R, Kranzler H. A multi-ancestry genetic study of pain intensity in 598,339 veterans. Nature Medicine 2024, 30: 1075-1084. PMID: 38429522, DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02839-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPain intensityChronic painTreat chronic painCalcium channel blockersCross-ancestry meta-analysisGenome-wide association studiesExperience of painSamples of European ancestryPain phenotypesFunctional genomics dataGABAergic neuronsCalcium channelsAnalgesic effectB-blockersDrug groupMillion Veteran ProgramPainSubstance use disordersQuality of lifeDrug repurposing analysisOpioid crisisGenetic architectureCausal genesGenetic lociGenomic dataPleiotropy and genetically inferred causality linking multisite chronic pain to substance use disorders
Koller D, Friligkou E, Stiltner B, Pathak G, Løkhammer S, Levey D, Zhou H, Hatoum A, Deak J, Kember R, Treur J, Kranzler H, Johnson E, Stein M, Gelernter J, Polimanti R. Pleiotropy and genetically inferred causality linking multisite chronic pain to substance use disorders. Molecular Psychiatry 2024, 29: 2021-2030. PMID: 38355787, PMCID: PMC11324857, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02446-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMultisite chronic painSubstance use disordersChronic painUK BiobankUse disorderMillion Veteran ProgramSNP-based heritabilityGenome-wide association statisticsMR analysisPotential causal relationshipVeteran ProgramPleiotropy analysisTobacco usePleiotropic variantsOpioid use disorderAssociation statisticsCannabis use disorderAlcohol use disorderMeta-analysesBrain-wide analysisImaging phenotypesBi-directional relationshipPainPleiotropyBiobank
2023
Genome-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 phenotypesMulti-trait genome-wide association analyses leveraging alcohol use disorder findings identify novel loci for smoking behaviors in the Million Veteran Program
Cheng Y, Dao C, Zhou H, Li B, Kember R, Toikumo S, Zhao H, Gelernter J, Kranzler H, Justice A, Xu K. Multi-trait genome-wide association analyses leveraging alcohol use disorder findings identify novel loci for smoking behaviors in the Million Veteran Program. Translational Psychiatry 2023, 13: 148. PMID: 37147289, PMCID: PMC10162964, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02409-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSingle-trait genome-wide association studiesGenome-wide association studiesNovel lociPower of GWASJoint genome-wide association studyGenome-wide significant lociMillion Veteran ProgramGenome-wide associationSubstance use traitsGWAS summary statisticsNovel genetic variantsMulti-trait analysisFunctional annotationUse traitsSignificant lociHeritable traitMultiple lociAssociation studiesColocalization analysisLociPleiotropic effectsMTAgVeteran ProgramGenetic variantsTraits
2022
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
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 one