Risk Pathways to Major Depression using population registers in Denmark and Sweden
Official title: Risk Pathways to Major Depression: Integrating Genetic-Epidemiological, Developmental, and Molecular Genetic Strategies in Danish and Swedish National Registers
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11326191 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large population-based study uses Danish and Swedish health records to map genetic and environmental factors that contribute to Major Depression across the lifespan.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $190,301 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH139865-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11326191 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with or at risk for Major Depression in Nordic populations or those represented in similar health-register datasets; researchers seeking to translate registry-based insights to clinical care may benefit.
✕Less likely to help
This grant does not involve direct treatment or intervention for patients during the study.
What this research studies
This project looks at how genes and life experiences come together to influence when and how major depression develops, using rich national register data from Denmark and Sweden. The team will harmonize lots of information and develop methods to create Family Genetic Risk Scores to understand inherited risk. They will also measure environmental stressors, both chronic and acute, and examine how these factors relate to clinical features like age at onset and recurrence. The work aims to reveal how genetics and environment interact over time to shape depressive illness and its clinical course. Findings could inform more personalized prevention and care strategies in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of why major depression occurs and how genetics and environment interact could lead to earlier identification of at-risk individuals and more targeted prevention and treatment approaches.
How similar studies have gone: Previous registry-based genetics studies have shown promise in uncovering etiological pathways, supporting the potential value of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kendler, Kenneth Seedman — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Kendler, Kenneth Seedman
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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A large genetics study is exploring what makes extreme forms of major depression unique, by studying many thousands of people and their DNA.
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Understanding immune dysfunction and social stress in veterans with depression
A study in U.S. veterans with major depressive disorder looks at how stress-related immune changes may be linked to depression and heart health.
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Risk pathways to major depression using big Danish and Swedish data
A large study using health and genetic data from Denmark and Sweden will help understand what genetic and environmental factors contribute to major depression across how people grow up.
-
Understanding genetic and environmental pathways to major depression in Nordic health records
A large study will look at how genes and life experiences combine over time to influence major depression, using Danish and Swedish population data.
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.