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 diseasesTSNARE1FBXW4Phenome-wide Association Analysis of Substance Use Disorders in a Deeply Phenotyped Sample
Kember RL, Hartwell EE, Xu H, Rotenberg J, Almasy L, Zhou H, Gelernter J, Kranzler HR. Phenome-wide Association Analysis of Substance Use Disorders in a Deeply Phenotyped Sample. Biological Psychiatry 2022, 93: 536-545. PMID: 36273948, PMCID: PMC9931661, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.08.010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSubstance use disordersAlcohol use disorderOpioid use disorderPolygenic risk scoresUse disordersCo-occurring psychiatric disordersComprehensive psychiatric interviewSemi-Structured AssessmentElectronic health recordsControl subjectsLow prevalencePsychiatric interviewRisk scorePsychiatric disordersPhenome-wide association analysisDrug dependenceEuropean individualsHealth recordsLifetime cannabisPhenome-wide association studyDisordersAfrican ancestry individualsDSM diagnosesPopulation sampleGenetic liabilityAssociations 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 alcohol use disorder in East Asians
Zhou H, Kalayasiri R, Sun Y, Nuñez YZ, Deng HW, Chen XD, Justice AC, Kranzler HR, Chang S, Lu L, Shi J, Sanichwankul K, Mutirangura A, Malison RT, Gelernter J. Genome-wide meta-analysis of alcohol use disorder in East Asians. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022, 47: 1791-1797. PMID: 35094024, PMCID: PMC9372033, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01265-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAlcohol use disorderAlcohol dependenceUse disordersICD-9-CM diagnosisGenome-wide association studiesEast Asian subjectsElectronic health recordsPack yearsLeading causePolygenic risk scoresThai cohortRisk scoreAlcohol consumptionDSM-IVAsian subjectsCohortMillion Veteran Program sampleHealth recordsLarge genome-wide association studiesEast AsiansOngoing recruitmentRisk genesDisordersRisk lociSubjectsAssociation of OPRM1 Functional Coding Variant With Opioid Use Disorder
Zhou H, Rentsch CT, Cheng Z, Kember RL, Nunez YZ, Sherva RM, Tate JP, Dao C, Xu K, Polimanti R, Farrer LA, Justice AC, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J. Association of OPRM1 Functional Coding Variant With Opioid Use Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry 2020, 77: 1072-1080. PMID: 32492095, PMCID: PMC7270886, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.1206.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderUse disordersMendelian randomization analysisAfrican American individualsMAIN OUTCOMEFunctional coding variantSignificant associationCausal associationRandomization analysisElectronic health record dataCurrent opioid crisisAmerican individualsHealth record dataCognitive performanceInternational Statistical ClassificationRelated Health ProblemsPotential causal associationAmerican controlsEuropean American controlsAfrican-American controlsCoding variantBuprenorphine treatmentOUD diagnosisTobacco smokingNinth Revision
2023
Genome-wide association study of antisocial personality disorder diagnostic criteria provides evidence for shared risk factors across disorders
Li W, Zhou H, Thygesen J, Heydtmann M, Smith I, Degenhardt F, Nöthen M, Morgan M, Kranzler H, Gelernter J, Bass N, McQuillin A. Genome-wide association study of antisocial personality disorder diagnostic criteria provides evidence for shared risk factors across disorders. Psychiatric Genetics 2023, 33: 233-242. PMID: 37756443, PMCID: PMC10635348, DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000352.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAntisocial personality disorderAttention deficit hyperactivity disorderSubstance use disordersPosttraumatic stress disorderGenome-wide association studiesDeficit hyperactivity disorderDisorder diagnostic criteriaRisk factorsFrontal cortexDiagnostic criteriaUse disordersRisk score analysisAnterior cingulateAlcohol-dependent participantsPsychiatric conditionsSignificant associationBrain regionsPersonality disorder diagnostic criteriaStress disorderAnxiety disordersASPD criteriaHyperactivity disorderPolygenic risk score analysisPersonality disorderScore analysis
2022
Unique and joint associations of polygenic risk for major depression and opioid use disorder with endogenous opioid system function
Love T, Shabalin AA, Kember RL, Docherty AR, Zhou H, Koppelmans V, Gelernter J, Baker AK, Hartwell E, Dubroff J, Zubieta JK, Kranzler HR. Unique and joint associations of polygenic risk for major depression and opioid use disorder with endogenous opioid system function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022, 47: 1784-1790. PMID: 35545664, PMCID: PMC9372136, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01325-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderMajor depressive disorderPolygenic risk scoresUse disordersEndogenous opioid system functionOpioid system functionOpioid system activityMDD polygenic risk scoresPolygenic riskAssociation of PRSEndogenous opioid responseOpioid system activationNon-displaceable bindingPathophysiologic linkOpioid responseMOR availabilityOpioid releaseDepressive disorderMajor depressionNeurotransmitter systemsVentral pallidumRisk scoreReceptor concentrationSystem activationRegion of interest
2021
Investigation of convergent and divergent genetic influences underlying schizophrenia and alcohol use disorder
Johnson EC, Kapoor M, Hatoum AS, Zhou H, Polimanti R, Wendt FR, Walters RK, Lai D, Kember RL, Hartz S, Meyers JL, Peterson RE, Ripke S, Bigdeli TB, Fanous AH, Pato CN, Pato MT, Goate AM, Kranzler HR, O'Donovan MC, Walters JTR, Gelernter J, Edenberg HJ, Agrawal A. Investigation of convergent and divergent genetic influences underlying schizophrenia and alcohol use disorder. Psychological Medicine 2021, 53: 1196-1204. PMID: 34231451, PMCID: PMC8738774, DOI: 10.1017/s003329172100266x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesGenome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphismsLarge-scale genome-wide association studiesSignificant single nucleotide polymorphismsIndependent genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphismsSignificant genetic correlationsGenomic regionsSingle nucleotide polymorphismsGene expressionGenetic covariancePleiotropic associationsAssociation studiesGenetic correlationsGenetic variantsNucleotide polymorphismsGenetic overlapDisorder-specific effectsAlcohol use disorderGenetic influencesGenesUse disorders