Despite substantial evidence for the heritability of behavioral and psychiatric disorders, complex modes of inheritance have complicated efforts to identify dispositional genes. New strategies to enhance our ability to detect genes involved in complex disorders are needed. Utilizing behavior genetic techniques to inform molecular analyses provides a potentially powerful strategy. Behavior genetic analyses can measure the extent to which different traits are influenced by the same genes; thus, novel phenotypes can be developed for genetic analyses that more accurately reflect the genetic susceptibilities we are trying to detect. Additionally, behavior genetic analyses can elucidate how specific environmental influences interact with dispositional genes. This information can be incorporated in molecular analyses to enhance our ability to detect susceptibility genes. Finally, once vulnerability regions are identified, clinical psychologists will play an important role in translating this knowledge into improved clinical assessment and intervention. Research bridging the gap between clinical psychology and genetics holds the potential to vastly improve our understanding of the etiology and treatment of behavioral and psychiatric disorders. My postdoctoral training proposal is illustrative of this interdisciplinary approach, with specific application to the area of alcohol use and abuse.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32AA013358-03
Application #
6604304
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-SNEM-2 (01))
Program Officer
Ren, Zhaoxia
Project Start
2002-08-31
Project End
2003-10-31
Budget Start
2003-08-31
Budget End
2003-10-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$12,320
Indirect Cost
Name
Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
Department
Genetics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
603007902
City
Indianapolis
State
IN
Country
United States
Zip Code
46202
Li, James J; Cho, Seung Bin; Salvatore, Jessica E et al. (2017) The Impact of Peer Substance Use and Polygenic Risk on Trajectories of Heavy Episodic Drinking Across Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 41:65-75
Dick, Danielle M; Edenberg, Howard J; Xuei, Xiaoling et al. (2005) No association of the GABAA receptor genes on chromosome 5 with alcoholism in the collaborative study on the genetics of alcoholism sample. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 132B:24-8
Dick, Danielle M; Viken, Richard J; Kaprio, Jaakko et al. (2005) Understanding the covariation among childhood externalizing symptoms: genetic and environmental influences on conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms. J Abnorm Child Psychol 33:219-29
Hesselbrock, Victor; Dick, Danielle; Hesselbrock, Michie et al. (2004) The search for genetic risk factors associated with suicidal behavior. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 28:70S-76S
Dick, D M; Li, T-K; Edenberg, H J et al. (2004) A genome-wide screen for genes influencing conduct disorder. Mol Psychiatry 9:81-6
Dick, Danielle M; Edenberg, Howard J; Xuei, Xiaoling et al. (2004) Association of GABRG3 with alcohol dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 28:4-9
Rose, Richard J; Dick, Danielle M; Viken, Richard J et al. (2004) Genetic and environmental effects on conduct disorder and alcohol dependence symptoms and their covariation at age 14. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 28:1541-8
Dick, Danielle M; Foroud, Tatiana (2003) Candidate genes for alcohol dependence: a review of genetic evidence from human studies. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 27:868-79
Dick, Danielle M; Foroud, Tatiana; Flury, Leah et al. (2003) Genomewide linkage analyses of bipolar disorder: a new sample of 250 pedigrees from the National Institute of Mental Health Genetics Initiative. Am J Hum Genet 73:107-14
Dick, Danielle M; Foroud, Tatiana; Edenberg, Howard J et al. (2002) Apparent replication of suggestive linkage on chromosome 16 in the NIMH genetics initiative bipolar pedigrees. Am J Med Genet 114:407-12

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