Genetic factors behind alcohol and opioid use disorders and depression in veterans
Official title: Genetic architecture of substance use disorders and major depression
Funded at Philadelphia VA Medical Center · NIH-11536898 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study using genetic data from veterans to understand how genes contribute to co-occurring alcohol use, prescription opioid use, and depression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Philadelphia VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2CX002336-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11536898 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are veterans enrolled in large genetic studies who have information on alcohol use, prescription opioid use, and depression, including those with comorbidity.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without detailed genetic or phenotype data may not directly benefit from the findings.
What this research studies
This project analyzes genetic data from well-defined groups to find common and distinct genetic factors linked to alcohol use disorder, prescription opioid use disorder, and major depressive disorder. By refining how these conditions are defined in the data, researchers hope to reduce variability and uncover true genetic connections. The Million Veteran Program provides a large, diverse sample to explore causal pathways and genetic relationships between these conditions. The findings could point to why some individuals are more vulnerable to these co-occurring disorders and how they might respond to treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could improve understanding of why these conditions cluster and guide more personalized approaches to prevention and treatment for veterans.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has identified genetic links to individual disorders, but this study aims to map shared genetic pathways across multiple conditions in a large veteran cohort.
Where this research is happening
-
Philadelphia VA Medical Center
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hartwell, Emily — Philadelphia VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Hartwell, Emily
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Genetic links between alcohol or opioid problems and depression
Researchers are looking for genes that may help explain why some people, especially Veterans, have both alcohol or prescription opioid problems and major depression.
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Written Exposure Therapy for Veterans with PTSD and Substance Use Disorder (brief trauma treatment)
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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.