Featured Publications
Genetic Liability to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Its Association With Cardiometabolic and Respiratory Outcomes
Pathak G, Singh K, Choi K, Fang Y, Kouakou M, Lee Y, Zhou X, Fritsche L, Wendt F, Davis L, Polimanti R. Genetic Liability to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Its Association With Cardiometabolic and Respiratory Outcomes. JAMA Psychiatry 2024, 81: 34-44. PMID: 37910111, PMCID: PMC10620678, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4127.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderBody mass indexMass General BrighamPTSD symptom severityElectronic health recordsSymptom severityRespiratory outcomesMass indexRisk factorsMedical outcomesHealth outcomesMendelian randomizationDisease categoriesGenetic liabilityMeta-analyzed associationsSignificant medical outcomesNonspecific chest painC-reactive proteinMental health disordersUK BiobankMultivariable Mendelian randomizationPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomsChest painCardiac dysrhythmiasTobacco smoking
2024
Genetically Informed Study Highlights Income-Independent Effect of Schizophrenia Liability on Mental and Physical Health
Kouakou M, Cabrera-Mendoza B, Pathak G, Cannon T, Polimanti R. Genetically Informed Study Highlights Income-Independent Effect of Schizophrenia Liability on Mental and Physical Health. Schizophrenia Bulletin 2024, sbae093. PMID: 38848523, DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbae093.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMultivariable Mendelian randomizationMR analysisMedical endpointsMultivariable MR analysisNegative health outcomesSubstance usePsychiatric Genomics ConsortiumHigh-risk individualsFinnGen participantsMendelian randomizationMultiple testing correctionSocioeconomic inequalitiesHealth outcomesBonferroni multiple testing correctionUK BiobankSocioeconomic differencesPhysical healthMental healthAnalysis of schizophreniaGenetic liabilityAdjustment disorderHousehold incomeLife expectancyTesting correctionPersonality disorderEstimating the direct effects of the genetic liabilities to bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and behavioral traits on suicide attempt using a multivariable Mendelian randomization approach
Cabrera-Mendoza B, Aydin N, Fries G, Docherty A, Walss-Bass C, Polimanti R. Estimating the direct effects of the genetic liabilities to bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and behavioral traits on suicide attempt using a multivariable Mendelian randomization approach. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024, 49: 1383-1391. PMID: 38396255, PMCID: PMC11250798, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01833-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAssociated with higher oddsPsychiatric Genomics ConsortiumSubstance use disordersSocioeconomic factorsMendelian randomizationBipolar disorderGenetic liabilitySuicide attemptsHigher oddsTwo-sample Mendelian randomizationGenetic liability to bipolar disorderEffects of mental distressUK Biobank (UKBLiability to bipolar disorderMultivariable MR approachMendelian randomization approachComprehensive mental health assessmentGenome-wide association dataRisk of psychiatric disordersMental health assessmentBehavioral traitsAssociated with lonelinessHigh-risk individualsMental distressContext of SA
2023
Multivariate genome-wide association meta-analysis of over 1 million subjects identifies loci underlying multiple substance use disorders
Hatoum A, Colbert S, Johnson E, Huggett S, Deak J, Pathak G, Jennings M, Paul S, Karcher N, Hansen I, Baranger D, Edwards A, Grotzinger A, Tucker-Drob E, Kranzler H, Davis L, Sanchez-Roige S, Polimanti R, Gelernter J, Edenberg H, Bogdan R, Agrawal A. Multivariate genome-wide association meta-analysis of over 1 million subjects identifies loci underlying multiple substance use disorders. Nature Mental Health 2023, 1: 210-223. PMID: 37250466, PMCID: PMC10217792, DOI: 10.1038/s44220-023-00034-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-wide associationGenetic risk lociIndependent single nucleotide polymorphismsProblematic tobacco useSingle nucleotide polymorphismsRisk lociHigh polygenicityLociReceptor geneAddiction risk factorsPolygenic risk scoresEuropean descentPolygenicityGenesSummary statisticsSubstance use disordersSomatic conditionsAncestryRegulationConfersUse disordersPolymorphismGenetic liabilityDopamine regulationPDE4B
2022
Genetic liability to suicidal thoughts and behaviors and risk of suicide attempt in US military veterans: moderating effects of cumulative trauma burden
Nichter B, Koller D, De Angelis F, Wang J, Girgenti M, Na P, Hill M, Norman S, Krystal J, Gelernter J, Polimanti R, Pietrzak R. Genetic liability to suicidal thoughts and behaviors and risk of suicide attempt in US military veterans: moderating effects of cumulative trauma burden. Psychological Medicine 2022, 53: 6325-6333. PMID: 36444557, DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722003646.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPolygenic risk scoresUS military veteransLifetime suicide attemptsSuicide attemptsTrauma exposureTrauma burdenGenetic liabilityMilitary veteransDrug repurposing analysisPopulation-based sampleCumulative trauma exposureLifetime trauma exposureLow trauma exposureSuicide prediction modelsChronic inflammationInflammatory processNervous system developmentRisk scorePsychiatric characteristicsSuicidal behaviorExposure interactionsLarge genome-wide association studiesHigh levelsVeteransSuicidality
2021
Host Genetic Liability for Severe COVID-19 Associates with Alcohol Drinking Behavior and Diabetic Outcomes in Participants of European Descent
Wendt FR, De Lillo A, Pathak GA, De Angelis F, Initiative C, Polimanti R. Host Genetic Liability for Severe COVID-19 Associates with Alcohol Drinking Behavior and Diabetic Outcomes in Participants of European Descent. Frontiers In Genetics 2021, 12: 765247. PMID: 34966408, PMCID: PMC8711039, DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.765247.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRisk factorsPotential long-term health effectsAlcohol drinking statusLong-term health effectsCOVID-19 risk locusCOVID-19 infectionCOVID-19 outcomesAlcohol drinking behaviorCOVID-19 epidemiologyMetformin useDiabetic outcomesHematologic biomarkersLong-term consequencesDrinking statusDepressive symptomsHealth effectsSevere responseEuropean descentDrinking behaviorGenetic liabilityInfectionMolecular mechanismsOutcomesRisk lociGenetic contributionPolygenic risk for traumatic loss-related PTSD in US military veterans: Protective effect of secure attachment style
Asch RH, Esterlis I, Wendt FR, Kachadourian L, Southwick SM, Gelernter J, Polimanti R, Pietrzak RH. Polygenic risk for traumatic loss-related PTSD in US military veterans: Protective effect of secure attachment style. The World Journal Of Biological Psychiatry 2021, 22: 792-799. PMID: 33821766, PMCID: PMC8925016, DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2021.1907721.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAttachment styleSecure attachment styleRe-experiencing symptomsPolygenic riskAttachment securityPsychological treatmentTraumatic eventsPositive screenPTSDStyle interactionPolygenic risk scoresUS military veteransMilitary veteransNeuroplasticity processesGenetic liabilityStyleSignificant predictorsVeteransUS veteransAssociationPredictorsScreenScoresSeverityRelationship
2019
Evidence of causal effect of major depression on alcohol dependence: findings from the psychiatric genomics consortium
Polimanti R, Peterson RE, Ong JS, MacGregor S, Edwards AC, Clarke TK, Frank J, Gerring Z, Gillespie NA, Lind PA, Maes HH, Martin NG, Mbarek H, Medland SE, Streit F, Agrawal A, Edenberg H, Kendler K, Lewis C, Sullivan P, Wray N, Gelernter J, Derks E. Evidence of causal effect of major depression on alcohol dependence: findings from the psychiatric genomics consortium. Psychological Medicine 2019, 49: 1218-1226. PMID: 30929657, PMCID: PMC6565601, DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719000667.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMajor depressionAlcohol dependenceAlcohol consumptionPsychiatric Genomics ConsortiumImportant public health concernMendelian randomizationPublic health concernUK BiobankClinical associationsHealth concernMR analysisReverse causationCausal roleNon-significant resultsCausal relationshipGenetic liabilityGenomics ConsortiumLinkage disequilibrium score regressionIntervention efforts