Making genetic research clearer to find genes linked to major depression
Improving the interpretability of genetic studies of major depressive disorder to identify risk genes
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 ID | NIH-11417203 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people with a history of major depressive episodes who have medical records and/or have donated genetic samples to a biobank.
Not a fit: People without a diagnosis of major depression or without available genetic samples or health-record data are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
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 performed: 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
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.