Featured Publications
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 smokingGenome-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 phenotypesBi-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 factorsRegionSubdomainsEnrichmentGenome-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 cohort
2024
F96. 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 drinkersDiversity and scale: Genetic architecture of 2068 traits in the VA Million Veteran Program
Verma A, Huffman J, Rodriguez A, Conery M, Liu M, Ho Y, Kim Y, Heise D, Guare L, Panickan V, Garcon H, Linares F, Costa L, Goethert I, Tipton R, Honerlaw J, Davies L, Whitbourne S, Cohen J, Posner D, Sangar R, Murray M, Wang X, Dochtermann D, Devineni P, Shi Y, Nandi T, Assimes T, Brunette C, Carroll R, Clifford R, Duvall S, Gelernter J, Hung A, Iyengar S, Joseph J, Kember R, Kranzler H, Kripke C, Levey D, Luoh S, Merritt V, Overstreet C, Deak J, Grant S, Polimanti R, Roussos P, Shakt G, Sun Y, Tsao N, Venkatesh S, Voloudakis G, Justice A, Begoli E, Ramoni R, Tourassi G, Pyarajan S, Tsao P, O'Donnell C, Muralidhar S, Moser J, Casas J, Bick A, Zhou W, Cai T, Voight B, Cho K, Gaziano J, Madduri R, Damrauer S, Liao K. Diversity and scale: Genetic architecture of 2068 traits in the VA Million Veteran Program. Science 2024, 385: eadj1182. PMID: 39024449, DOI: 10.1126/science.adj1182.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMillion Veteran ProgramNon-European populationsVeteran ProgramGenetic architectureAtlas of genetic associationsVeterans Affairs Million Veteran ProgramVA Million Veteran ProgramGenomic risk lociGenome-wide associationHuman genetic studiesHealth disparitiesUnited States veteransCausal variantsRisk lociGenetic insightsGenetic studiesGenetic associationGenetic causeStates veteransDiverse populationsDisease factorsLack of inclusionLongitudinal studyParticipantsTraitsGenome-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 surfacePleiotropy 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
Multi-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
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 diseasesTSNARE1FBXW4Genetically regulated multi-omics study for symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder highlights pleiotropy with hematologic and cardio-metabolic traits
Pathak GA, Singh K, Wendt FR, Fleming TW, Overstreet C, Koller D, Tylee DS, De Angelis F, Cabrera Mendoza B, Levey DF, Koenen KC, Krystal JH, Pietrzak RH, O’ Donell C, Gaziano JM, Falcone G, Stein MB, Gelernter J, Pasaniuc B, Mancuso N, Davis LK, Polimanti R. Genetically regulated multi-omics study for symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder highlights pleiotropy with hematologic and cardio-metabolic traits. Molecular Psychiatry 2022, 27: 1394-1404. PMID: 35241783, PMCID: PMC9210390, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01488-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLocal genetic correlationsCell type-specific expressionVanderbilt University biorepositoryMulti-omics studiesMulti-omics investigationsDorsolateral prefrontal cortex tissueGenomic evidenceLaboratory traitsSpecific expressionCardio-metabolic traitsMillion Veteran ProgramPrefrontal cortex tissueMiR-148GenesGenetic correlationsRegulatory profileTraitsProtein expressionCardiometabolic traitsExpressionVeteran ProgramCortex tissueBiological heterogeneitySplicingPrioritization approach
2021
A COMPARISON OF THREE PHENOTYPE DEFINITIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IN THE MILLION VETERAN PROGRAM
Harrington K, Quaden R, Whitbourne S, Gelernter J, Stein M, Gaziano J. A COMPARISON OF THREE PHENOTYPE DEFINITIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IN THE MILLION VETERAN PROGRAM. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2021, 51: e6. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.07.022.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPsychological trauma and the genetic overlap between posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder
Mundy J, Hübel C, Gelernter J, Levey D, Murray RM, Skelton M, Stein MB, Maihofer A, Nievergelt C, Baker D, Risborough V, Calabrese J, Galea S, Stein D, Koen N, Dalvie S, Aiello A, Roberts A, Koenen K, Solovieff N, Kranzler H, Zhao H, Gelernter J, Farrer L, Johnson E, Rice J, Bierut L, Saccone N, McFarlane A, Forbes D, Silove D, O'Donnell M, Bryant R, van Hooff M, Sponheim S, Disner S, Pietrzak R, Chen C, Smoller J, Stein M, Ursano R, Kessler R, Junglen A, Delahanty D, Amstadter A, Sheerin C, Ruggiero K, McLaughlin K, Peverill M, Caldas-de-Almeida J, Austin S, Gelaye B, Williams M, Sanchez S, Franz C, Panizzon M, Lyons M, Kremen W, Andreassen O, Dale A, Rutten B, Vinkers C, Schijven D, Geuze E, Vermetten E, Luykx J, Boks M, Ashley-Koch A, Beckham J, Garrett M, Hauser M, Dennis M, Kimbrel N, Qin X, Karstoft K, Andersen S, Borglum A, Hougaard D, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Duncan L, Bµkvad-Hansen M, Nordentoft M, Mors O, Mortensen P, Werge T, Thompson W, Wang Y, Heath A, Nelson E, Martin N, Gordon S, Wolf E, Logue M, Miller M, McGlinchey R, Milberg W, Erbes C, Polusny M, Arbisi P, Peterson A, Williamson D, Young K, Maurer D, Rothbaum A, Zoellner L, Mavissakalian M, Feeny N, Roy-Byrne P, Rothbaum B, Maples-Keller J, Khan A, Wolff J, Lebois L, Teicher M, Kaufman M, Winternitz S, Bolger E, Seligowski A, Orcutt H, Evans A, Lugonja B, Lewis C, Jones I, Bisson J, McLean S, Linnstaedt S, Peters E, Rung A, Trapido E, Brashear M, Lori A, Smith A, Bradley B, Gillespie C, Guffanti G, Ressler K, Almli L, Jovanovic T, Bustamante A, Uddin M, van den Heuvel L, Seedat S, Hemmings S, Uka A, Kulenovic A, Wolf C, Babic D, Avdibegovic E, Deckert J, Domschke K, Jakovljevic M, Marmar C, Flory J, Jett M, Yehuda R, Hammamieh R, King A, Liberzon I, Seng J, Morris C, Mehta D, Voisey J, Lawford B, Young R, McLeay S, Daskalakis N, Norman S, Wang Z, Breen G, Coleman J, Klengel T, Torres K, Choi K, Levey D, Polimanti R, Atkinson E, Martin A, Neale B, Daly M, Ripke S, Ratanatharathorn A, Provost A, Haas M, Stevens J, Morey R, Harnal S, Mortensen P, Seedat S, Sumner J, Vassos E, Breen G, Coleman J. Psychological trauma and the genetic overlap between posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder. Psychological Medicine 2021, 52: 3975-3984. PMID: 34085609, PMCID: PMC8962503, DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721000830.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRecurrent major depressive disorderMajor depressive disorderPosttraumatic stress disorderSingle-episode major depressive disorderDepressive disorderTrauma exposureStress disorderPsychological trauma exposureLifetime major depressive disorderTrauma sensitivityGenetic loadingUK Biobank participantsKey risk factorsMental health consequencesRisk factorsMillion Veteran ProgramPolygenic risk scoresRisk scoreGenetic overlapHealth consequencesBiobank participantsTraumaDisordersVeteran ProgramPsychiatric Genomics Consortium
2020
Genome-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 AmericansConsortiumGenotyping Array Design and Data Quality Control in the Million Veteran Program
Hunter-Zinck H, Shi Y, Li M, Gorman BR, Ji SG, Sun N, Webster T, Liem A, Hsieh P, Devineni P, Karnam P, Gong X, Radhakrishnan L, Schmidt J, Assimes TL, Huang J, Pan C, Humphries D, Brophy M, Moser J, Muralidhar S, Huang GD, Przygodzki R, Concato J, Gaziano JM, Gelernter J, O’Donnell C, Hauser ER, Zhao H, O’Leary T, Program V, Tsao PS, Pyarajan S. Genotyping Array Design and Data Quality Control in the Million Veteran Program. American Journal Of Human Genetics 2020, 106: 535-548. PMID: 32243820, PMCID: PMC7118558, DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.03.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMillion Veteran ProgramGenome-wide association studiesGenome-wide scanHigh-quality genotypesArray-based genotypingWhole-genome sequencingNon-European individualsAssociation studiesGenetic markersOmics assaysAxiom arrayDownstream analysisVeteran ProgramCommon variantsGenetic associationAfrican American ancestryAmerican ancestryMVP cohortRare variantsSingle assayDiversityFurther data releasesLarge biobanksPromising resourceQuality controlReproducible 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