Genetic causes of depression in South Korea
Identifying the genetic causes of depression in a deeply phenotyped population from South Korea
Researchers are looking for genetic differences that contribute to major depression in adults from South Korea to help improve diagnosis and treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11383117 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, the team will collect detailed clinical information, life‑experience or environmental data, and DNA from adults with depression to look for genetic patterns. They are building the largest East Asian group of deeply described patients so that genetic signals can be found more clearly. The project combines work in South Korea with U.S. collaborators to compare genes and improve genetic risk tools for people of East Asian ancestry. Results will be used to find likely causal gene variants and to make genetic predictors more accurate across diverse populations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (age 21 and older) of South Korean ancestry with a history of major depressive disorder and willing to provide clinical information and a DNA/sample donation are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children, people without a diagnosis of depression, or individuals who cannot provide samples or detailed clinical information (or are not of the targeted ancestry) may not directly benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to diagnose depression, new targets for treatment, and more accurate genetic risk information for people of East Asian descent.
How similar studies have performed: Large genetic studies have found risk genes for some psychiatric disorders and for MDD in mainly European groups, but applying these methods to large, deeply phenotyped East Asian samples is more recent and still evolving.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Flint, Jonathan — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Flint, Jonathan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.