Gene regulatory variation in the developing human brain and its role in neuropsychiatric disorders

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Large genetic studies, involving many thousands of individuals, have identified several regions of the genome where DNA variation increases risk for major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. However, the biological mechanisms by which these genetic variants confer risk to these disorders are currently unknown. It is believed that many of these risk variants operate by changing the amount, or 'expression', of nearby genes in the brain, and, further, that these effects start very early in brain development. To test this hypothesis, we will examine DNA variants across the entire genome and relate these to highly sophisticated measures of gene expression in the developing human brain. These studies will greatly advance our understanding of major psychiatric disorders, which will serve as a basis for improved treatments for these conditions.