Yale Genetics
|
|
 Gelernter, JoelProfessor of Psychiatry Director, Division of Human Genetics in Psychiatry
Research Interests:The research focus of my laboratory is genetics of psychiatric illness. We study a range of behavioral phenotypes including cocaine, opiate, nicotine, and ethanol dependence, panic and other anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and affective disorders. In addition we study a range of intermediate phenotypes, such as neuroimaging measures; and basic issues in population genetics. The overall approach involves study of genetic polymorphism, both on a molecular level, and from the perspective of population genetics. Current studies include two large NIH (NIDA)-funded multicenter affected sibling pair genomewide linkage studies with the goal of identifying genes predisposing to cocaine, opioid, and tobacco dependence; a multicenter NIAAA-funded study in mapping by admixture linkage disequilibrium (MALD) for alcohol dependence; a study using small nuclear families to identify genomic regions in linkage disequilibrium with alcohol dependence; and a full genome scan (using linkage) with the goal of identifying loci predisposing to panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, and simple phobia. Additional projects include mutation detection studies for candidate genes, studies of within-locus linkage disequilibrium at candidate loci, fine-mapping a locus for simple phobia, a study of social phobia and related social-anxiety traits, and studies of several other phenotypes. We have ongoing collaborations with investigators at the Chulalongkorn Faculty of Medicine in Bangkok, Thailand, to study genetics of substance dependence; and a collaborative training program with that institution, to train Thai investigators in substance dependence genetics at Yale. Area of Expertise:Psychiatric genetics Laboratory Personnel:Bau-zhu Yang, PhD, Associate Research Scientist Achievements and Honors* NIH Medical Staff Fellowship Representative PublicationsZhang H, Luo X, Kranzler HR, Lappalainen J, Yang BZ, Krupitsky E, Zvartau E, Gelernter J: Association between two ? opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) haplotype blocks and drug or alcohol dependence Human Molecular Genetics 2006;15:807-819; doi:10.1093/hmg/ddl024
Luo X, Kranzler HR, Zuo L, Wang S, Schorck NJ, and Gelernter J: Diplotype trend regression (DTR) analysis of the ADH gene cluster and ALDH2 gene: Multiple significant associations for alcohol dependence. Am J Hum Genet 2006;78:973-987 Kaufman J, Yang B-Z, Douglas-Palumberi H, Crouse-Artis M, Lipschitz D, Krystal JH, and Gelernter J: Genetic and Environmental Predictors of Early Alcohol Use. Biological Psychiatry (In press) 2006 Nov 20; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 17123474 Gelernter J, Panhuysen C, Weiss R, Brady K, Poling J, Krauthammer M, Farrer L, and Kranzler HR: Genomewide linkage scan for nicotine dependence: Identification of a chromosome 5 risk locus. Biological Psychiatry. 2007; 61:119-126. Published online Nov. 1, 2006 Gelernter J, Yu Y, Weiss R, Brady K, Panhuysen C, Yang BZ, Kranzler HR, and Farrer L: Haplotype Spanning TTC12 and ANKK1, Flanked By the DRD2 and NCAM1 Loci, is Strongly Associated to Nicotine Dependence in Two Distinct American Populations. Human Molecular Genetics 2006;15,3498–3507 doi:10.1093/hmg/ddl426 Luo X, Kranzler HR, Zuo L, Wang S, Schork NJ, and Gelernter J: Multiple ADH genes modulate risk for drug dependence in both African- and European-Americans. Human Molecular Genetics 2007;16:380-390; doi:10.1093/hmg/ddl460 Stein MB, Schork NJ, and Gelernter J: Gene-by-Environment (Serotonin Transporter and Childhood Maltreatment) Interaction for Anxiety Sensitivity, an Intermediate Phenotype for Anxiety Disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2007 Apr 25; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 17460615 Luo X, Kranzler HR, Zuo L, Zhang H, Wang S, and Gelernter J: CHRM2 variation predisposes to personality traits of agreeableness and conscientiousness. Hum Mol Genet. 2007 Apr 27; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 17468496 Listman J, Malison RT, Sughondhabirom A, Thavichachart N, Kranzler HR, Tangwonchai S, Mutirangura A, Disotell TR, and Gelernter J: Population differentiation of an East Asian isolate from major East Asian populations using 36 microsatellites. BMC Genetics 2007, 8:21 Zhang H, Kranzler HR, Yang B-Z, Luo X, and Gelernter J: The OPRD1 and OPRK1 loci in alcohol or drug dependence: OPRD1 variation modulates substance dependence risk Molecular Psychiatry (In press)
Contact Information
|
* NIH Medical Staff Fellowship