BIOINFORMARTICS TO DISCOVER GENES IN PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS

描述(由申请者提供)：K01奖将为候选人在精神病学遗传学领域的独立研究人员的职业生涯做好准备，并具备将遗传流行病学和生物信息学方法结合在一起的研究策略的专门知识。该提案将以候选人在遗传流行病学方面的背景为基础，为他提供发展生物信息学技能以及学习分子遗传学方法的机会。培训计划将重点放在合作研究环境和课程工作中的正式指导。共同赞助人J·雷蒙德·德保罗博士是情感障碍遗传学研究小组的主任，也是约翰·霍普金斯大学精神病学系的主任，他将就如何在精神障碍中进行基因研究向候选人提供建议。联合发起人、约翰·霍普金斯大学生物统计系生物信息学项目的联合主任乔瓦尼·帕米吉亚尼博士将建议候选人使用统计学、遗传学和生物信息学方法。在遗传学研究的不同方面拥有专业知识的顾问团队将提供额外的指导。乔纳森·佩夫斯纳博士将协助生物信息学的实际应用，迪米特里奥斯·Avramopolous博士将协助使用分子遗传技术，Aravinda Chakravarti博士将为引领复杂遗传疾病的多学科研究提供咨询。在该项目的头两年，候选人将参加生物信息学健康科学硕士课程和为期两周的分子遗传实验室技术实践课程。培训计划将通过一项研究计划得到加强，该计划旨在使用统计遗传学和生物信息学的新方法，在8q24号染色体上一个有希望的连锁区识别候选基因，并测试这些基因与双相情感障碍的关联。该研究计划将利用在德保罗博士的指导下收集的家庭样本，并以候选人之前对这些家庭的研究为基础。这项提案的培训和研究计划将为候选人实现其帮助阐明复杂精神障碍的基因贡献的长期目标提供基础。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The K01 Award will prepare the candidate for a career as an independent investigator in psychiatric genetics with an expertise in using research strategies that bring together the methods of genetic epidemiology and bioinformatics. The proposal will build on the candidate's background in genetic epidemiology and provide him with the opportunity to develop skills in bioinformatics as well as learn molecular genetic methods. The training plan will focus on formal mentorship in a collaborative research environment and coursework. Co-Sponsor Dr. J. Raymond DePaulo, the director of the Affective Disorders Genetics Research Group and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, will advise the candidate on conducting genetic research in psychiatric disorders. Co-Sponsor Dr. Giovanni Parmigiani, Co-director of the program in Bioinformatics in the Department of Biostatistcs at Johns Hopkins, will advise the candidate on using statistical genetic and bioinformatic methods. A team of consultants with expertise in different aspects of genetics research will provide additional guidance. Dr. Jonathan Pevsner will assist with practical applications of bioinformatics, Dr. Dimitrios Avramopolous will assist with the use of molecular genetic techniques, and Dr. Aravinda Chakravarti will consult on leading multi-disciplinary research of complex genetic disorders. During the first two years of the project, the candidate will take courses to fulfill the requirements of a Master's of Health Science in Bioinformatics and a two- week hands-on course on molecular genetic laboratory techniques. The training program will be enhanced by a research plan that aims to use novel methods of statistical genetics and bioinformatics to identify candidate genes in a promising region of linkage on chromosome 8q24 and to test these genes for association with Bipolar Disorder. The research plan will take advantage of family samples that have been collected under the direction of Dr. DePaulo and build on previous studies of these families by the candidate. The training and research plans of this proposal will provide the groundwork for the candidate to achieve his long-term goal of helping to elucidate the genetic contribution to complex psychiatric disorders.