Making genetic research clearer to find genes linked to major depression
Official title: Improving the interpretability of genetic studies of major depressive disorder to identify risk genes
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11417203 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will use health records and genetic data to pinpoint genes that drive major depression, aiming to help people with depression get better-targeted treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | June 16, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $536,398 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH130581-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11417203 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people with a history of major depressive episodes who have medical records and/or have donated genetic samples to a biobank.
✕Less likely to help
People without a diagnosis of major depression or without available genetic samples or health-record data are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
You would be part of work that uses electronic health records and banked DNA to create large groups of people with major depression. The team uses computer algorithms to make reliable diagnoses from those records when formal diagnoses are missing. They remove signals that come from other illnesses or shared risk factors so the genetic signal specific to depression becomes clearer. Clearer genetic findings could point researchers to causes of depression and new treatment targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could uncover genes that lead to new, more effective treatments for people with major depression.
How similar studies have gone: Large genetic studies have found risk genes for some psychiatric conditions but results for depression have been weaker, and this project applies newer algorithms to try to improve specificity and gene discovery.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Flint, Jonathan — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Flint, Jonathan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Psilocybin-Assisted ACT for Co-Occurring Cocaine Use Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder
A new treatment combines psilocybin with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people who have both cocaine use disorder and major depressive disorder.
-
Single-cell study of mood-regulation brain circuits in depression
A large study will map which genes and cell types in mood-related brain circuits are linked to major depressive disorder, including differences by ancestry and sex.
-
Single-cell map of mood circuits in major depressive disorder
Researchers will map the tiny brain cells in mood-control areas to understand how genes and cell types relate to depression, with attention to ancestry and sex.
-
How iTBS and a brain drug could boost brain wiring to help depression
A study tests whether a brain-stimulating treatment (iTBS) works by improving brain plasticity and whether adding a drug (DCS) enhances this effect for people with major depressive disorder.
-
Portable, low-cost genetic test to guide antidepressant choices
This project is creating a small, affordable device that rapidly reads genes that affect how people with major depressive disorder process antidepressants to help choose safer, more effective medicines.
-
Psilocybin paired with cognitive behavioral therapy for adults with depression
This project combines two supervised psilocybin sessions with 12 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy for adults living with major depressive disorder.
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.