Genetic sequencing of severe psychiatric illnesses across diverse populations
1/3 Sequencing and Trans-Diagnostic Phenotyping of Severe Mental Illness in Diverse Populations
We will use large-scale DNA sequencing and genotyping to find genetic changes linked to schizophrenia, bipolar I, schizoaffective disorder, and severe major depression in people from many regions of the world.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11126058 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will collect DNA and clinical information from people with severe psychiatric diagnoses and from matched controls. They will perform whole-exome sequencing and SNP-array genotyping to look for rare and common genetic changes that relate to symptoms and diagnosis. The work will combine existing sample collections (about 100,000 cases) and new recruitment (about 50,000 cases) and will be coordinated across sites in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Genomic assays will be done in partnership with a commercial genomics center while data coordination and phenotype harmonization are handled by university sites.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with a lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar I disorder, or severe major depressive disorder who can give informed consent and a DNA sample.
Not a fit: People without one of the listed psychiatric diagnoses or those unwilling to provide consent or biological samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could pinpoint genetic factors that lead to better diagnosis, risk prediction, and ultimately new treatment targets for severe mental illnesses.
How similar studies have performed: Previous genetic studies have found some risk genes for psychiatric disorders, but this much larger, transdiagnostic sequencing effort aims to find rarer variants that smaller studies could not reliably detect.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sullivan, Patrick F — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Sullivan, Patrick F
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.