Psychiatric Genetics

Psychiatric genetics studies the role of inherited factors (genes) in the development of mental illness. All medical illnesses, including brain disorders, have a partially genetic basis. By providing greater biological insights into the causes of mental illness, better approaches for screening, diagnosis, and treatment can be developed.

Anxiety Genetics (Hettema)

The Anxiety Genetics lab focuses on the epidemiology, genetics, and biology of the anxiety and related internalizing disorders. We aim to identify which genes play a role in the development of anxiety disorders to understand their underlying biological mechanisms.

DNA Methylation (Clark)

The DNA Methylation lab focuses on understanding the role of DNA methylation in psychiatric disorders and its impact on gene expression. We approach these research questions using a translational framework that incorporates both human and animal studies, big data, and advanced statistical modeling techniques.

Stat Gen (Verhulst)

The Statistical Genetics Lab aims to develop and refine quantitative methods to analyze complex behavioral and psychiatric phenotypes in order to provide insights into the underlying biological processes that culminate in mental and physical health disability.