Featured Publications
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 ResearchMeSH KeywordsDepressive Disorder, MajorFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMaleVeteransConceptsTranscriptome-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 directionsGenesLociThe impact of removing former drinkers from genome‐wide association studies of AUDIT‐C
Dao C, Zhou H, Small A, Gordon KS, Li B, Kember RL, Ye Y, Gelernter J, Xu K, Kranzler HR, Zhao H, Justice AC. The impact of removing former drinkers from genome‐wide association studies of AUDIT‐C. Addiction 2021, 116: 3044-3054. PMID: 33861876, PMCID: PMC9377185, DOI: 10.1111/add.15511.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-wide association study identifies glutamate ionotropic receptor GRIA4 as a risk gene for comorbid nicotine dependence and major depression
Zhou H, Cheng Z, Bass N, Krystal JH, Farrer LA, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J. Genome-wide association study identifies glutamate ionotropic receptor GRIA4 as a risk gene for comorbid nicotine dependence and major depression. Translational Psychiatry 2018, 8: 208. PMID: 30287806, PMCID: PMC6172277, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0258-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesGenome-wide association study identifiesRisk genesTop risk genesCalcium ion bindingGenomes reference panelFast excitatory synaptic transmissionGenetic risk variantsGenetic basisEnrichment analysisAssociation studiesExome arrayCell adhesionRisk variantsGenesReference panelGenetic riskAMPA-sensitive glutamate receptorsIntronic variantsIon bindingBiological mechanismsConditional analysisGRIA4Excitatory synaptic transmissionSynaptic transmissionGenetic Risk Variants Associated With Comorbid Alcohol Dependence and Major Depression
Zhou H, Polimanti R, Yang BZ, Wang Q, Han S, Sherva R, Nuñez YZ, Zhao H, Farrer LA, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J. Genetic Risk Variants Associated With Comorbid Alcohol Dependence and Major Depression. JAMA Psychiatry 2017, 74: 1234-1241. PMID: 29071344, PMCID: PMC6331050, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.3275.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultAlcoholismBlack or African AmericanComorbidityDepressive Disorder, MajorDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenetic VariationHumansMaleMiddle AgedMultifactorial InheritanceOrgan SizePutamenSemaphorin-3AUnited StatesWhite PeopleConceptsGenome-wide association studiesGenetic risk variantsNeuropsychiatric traitsAssociation studiesRisk variantsPolygenic risk allelesPolygenic risk scoresGenetic mechanismsGenetic basisAmerican data setMolecular natureTraitsCriterion countsGenetic causePossible genetic causesMD comorbidityRisk allelesComorbid alcohol dependencePolygenic Scores for Major Depressive Disorder and Risk of Alcohol Dependence
Andersen AM, Pietrzak RH, Kranzler HR, Ma L, Zhou H, Liu X, Kramer J, Kuperman S, Edenberg HJ, Nurnberger JI, Rice JP, Tischfield JA, Goate A, Foroud TM, Meyers JL, Porjesz B, Dick DM, Hesselbrock V, Boerwinkle E, Southwick SM, Krystal JH, Weissman MM, Levinson DF, Potash JB, Gelernter J, Han S. Polygenic Scores for Major Depressive Disorder and Risk of Alcohol Dependence. JAMA Psychiatry 2017, 74: 1153-1160. PMID: 28813562, PMCID: PMC5710224, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.2269.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMDD polygenic risk scoresMajor depressive disorderPolygenic risk scoresAlcohol dependenceDepressive disorderSignificant public health burdenPublic health burdenAD comorbidityNational HealthHealth burdenMAIN OUTCOMECase-control statusRisk scoreRisk of ADVeterans StudyYale-PennGenetic susceptibilityMDD statusCommon genetic factorsSubstance dependenceMDD casesAD samplesPolygenic riskGenetic factorsHeritable disorder
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 ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnalgesics, OpioidDepressionDepressive Disorder, MajorFemaleHumansMultifactorial InheritanceOpioid PeptidesOpioid-Related DisordersConceptsOpioid 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
2019
Genetic 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
2018
Genomewide Association Study of Alcohol Dependence and Related Traits in a Thai Population
Gelernter J, Zhou H, Nuñez YZ, Mutirangura A, Malison RT, Kalayasiri R. Genomewide Association Study of Alcohol Dependence and Related Traits in a Thai Population. Alcohol Clinical And Experimental Research 2018, 42: 861-868. PMID: 29460428, PMCID: PMC5916336, DOI: 10.1111/acer.13614.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenomewide association studiesAssociation studiesRisk genesAldehyde dehydrogenase 2Prior biological informationAfrican ancestry populationsRelated traitsSame geneBiological informationAlcohol dehydrogenasesSignificant pleiotropyDehydrogenase BGenesFunctional variantsPsychiatric traitsGenomewide significant associationPleiotropy analysisTraitsAncestry populationsFirst genomewide association studyPleiotropyDehydrogenase 2Null variants