Genetic links between PTSD and alcohol problems from adolescence to adulthood
Genetic relationships between PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder: Integrating GWAS and Deeply Phenotyped Longitudinal data.
This research looks at how genes and childhood trauma together relate to PTSD and alcohol problems from the teen years into adulthood.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Suny Downstate Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brooklyn, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11141804 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project follows people over time to see how childhood trauma, genetic risk, and brain development combine to shape risk for PTSD and alcohol use problems. Researchers will merge large-scale genetic data (GWAS) with deeply detailed, long-term clinical and brain measurements such as EEG. The focus is on adolescence and young adulthood, with attention to sex differences and family history of alcohol problems. The goal is to identify genetic and brain-based patterns that explain why some people develop PTSD and alcohol use disorder after trauma.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescents and adults with histories of childhood trauma or with varying levels of alcohol use and PTSD symptoms who can provide genetic samples and attend follow-up assessments.
Not a fit: People without trauma exposure, without alcohol or PTSD symptoms, or those unwilling to provide genetic samples or follow-up data may not benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify people at higher risk so they can get earlier, more personalized prevention or treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Previous GWAS and EEG studies have shown genetic overlap between AUD and PTSD and brain differences after trauma, but combining large-scale genetics with deeply phenotyped longitudinal brain data is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Brooklyn, United States
- Suny Downstate Medical Center — Brooklyn, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Meyers, Jacquelyn Leigh — Suny Downstate Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Meyers, Jacquelyn Leigh
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.