Cell-specific genetic regulatory mechanisms mediating risk for neuropsychiatric disorders in the developing human brain

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Mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, are complex disorders with poorly defined neurobiological causes. Large-scale studies have been successful in identifying hundreds of genetic variants that commonly increase risk for these conditions, but the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms by which they operate are currently unclear. There is strong evidence that many of these genetic variants confer risk for these disorders by altering the level at which genes are expressed during brain development. In this project, we will use cutting-edge technology to identify genetic variants affecting gene expression in individual cell populations of the prenatal human brain. We will then link these findings with genetic data for mental illnesses to identify cell-specific gene expression changes that mediate risk for these conditions. These studies will advance our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms conferring susceptibility to major mental illnesses, through which improved treatments can be developed.