Integrative Mental Health Laboratory, the IMHL
Research
Trans-Ethnic Genetic Analyses
Most genetic research has been conducted on European ancestry populations. The transferability of results to more diverse populations is one of the most important topics in genetics right now, and we have a proven track record of publishing genetic analyses with diverse populations, and also raising awareness through analytical benchmarking of representation. Current work in this area is supported by NIH through a Population Health Sciences Spectrum Pilot Grant on Quantifying Individual Genetic Risk in Diverse Populations.
Genome Scale Analyses, International Consortia
The biggest discoveries in modern genetics are often carried out by international consortia. Alternatively, they may rely on data resources from international efforts such as the 1000 Genomes Project. We work closely with the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC), which is is the world’s largest group of researchers focused on the genetics of psychiatric disorders (with 800+ members to date). Dr. Duncan led the analysis and writing of flagship papers for both the PTSD and Anorexia groups of the PGC. Projects focused on schizophrenia employed pathway analyses on both GWAS and sequence data to identify relevant biological processes and cell types.
Interdisciplinary Knowledge Transfer Promotes Discovery
Clear communication - within and across disciplines - is something that we are passionate about in the Integrative Mental Health Lab. Current efforts combine novel genetic results with explanations that are accessible to clinicians and neuroscientists (publications under review). Past success in this area is evidenced by articles that are highly cited across disciplines. Our analysis of gene environment interaction (GxE) studies was used to set editorial policies at other journals (here and here), is used as teaching material in courses across the country, and it informs discussion about the use of genetic information in criminal trials.
Interdisciplinary Knowledge Transfer Promotes Discovery
Clear communication - within and across disciplines - is something that we are passionate about in the Integrative Mental Health Lab. Current efforts combine novel genetic results with explanations that are accessible to clinicians and neuroscientists (publications under review). Past success in this area is evidenced by articles that are highly cited across disciplines. Our analysis of gene environment interaction (GxE) studies was used to set editorial policies at other journals (here and here), is used as teaching material in courses across the country, and it informs discussion about the use of genetic information in criminal trials.