Genetic and Pathophysiologic Investigation of Panic Disorder Typologies

描述(由申请者提供)：这个K01指导研究科学家发展奖建议提供精神病学和分子遗传学方面的高级研究培训，重点研究惊恐障碍(PD)。世界著名的精神病学遗传学研究人员、医学博士肯德勒博士将担任罗克森·罗伯逊-奈博士的主要导师。培训将在弗吉尼亚联邦大学的弗吉尼亚精神病学和行为遗传学研究所进行，该研究所为培训和研究的进行提供了丰富、刺激的环境。这份申请概述了一项培训计划，使罗伯逊-奈博士能够将她以前在焦虑症研究和神经成像方面的临床经验与新获得的精神病学和分子遗传学技能结合起来。拟议的培训目标将在五个领域提供进一步的指导和指导：a)流行病学/遗传流行病学，b.)关联方法，c.)分子遗传学，D.)呼吸生理学和神经生理学，以及E.)负责任的研究行为。该奖项的研究重点是帕金森氏症，这是一种以意外的、反复发作的恐慌症为特征的衰弱精神障碍。为了达到她的研究目的，研究人员将采用多方法研究帕金森病的类型，其中她将检查帕金森病的表型变异，目的是确定临床相关和有意义的亚型。这些结果将被用来指导多模式方法来检查帕金森病类型。也就是说，研究人员将检查帕金森病类型的风险因素和进展，并寻求确定赋予它们易感性的机制(即，遗传、环境)。最后，研究人员试图描述与帕金森病亚型有关的特定神经回路，并验证生物标记。作为未来的一步，研究人员将应用从这里描述的培训和研究目的中学到的东西来检查与PD分型相关的分子遗传学，并将所获得的关于PD亚型的知识应用于治疗反应的检查，目的是提高治疗效果。拟议的培训将为调查员提供作为独立临床调查员进行创新的、高质量的精神病学遗传学研究所需的独特技能基础和经验。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award proposes to provide advanced research training in psychiatric and molecular genetics with a research focus on panic disorder (PD). Dr. Kenneth S. Kendler, M.D., a world renowned researcher in psychiatric genetics, will serve as Dr. Roxann Roberson-Nay's primary mentor. The training will take place at the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics of Virginia Commonwealth University, which provides a rich, stimulating environment for the conduct of training and research. This application outlines a training program that will enable Dr. Roberson-Nay to combine her previous clinical experience in anxiety disorders research and neuroimaging with newly acquired skills in psychiatric and molecular genetics. The proposed training goals will provide further instruction and mentorship in five areas: a.) epidemiology/genetic epidemiology, b.) association methods, c.) molecular genetics, d.) respiratory physiology and neurophysiology, and e.) responsible conduct of research. The research focus of the award is on PD, a debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by unexpected, recurrent panic attacks. For her research aims, the investigator will take a multimethod approach to the study of PD typologies wherein she will examine the phenotypic variance in PD for the purpose of identifying clinically relevant and meaningful subtypes. These results will be used to guide a multimodal approach to the examination of PD typologies. That is, the investigator will examine risk factors and progression of PD typologies as well as seek to identify mechanisms (i.e., genetic, environmental) that confer vulnerability to them. Finally, the investigator seeks to delineate specific neural circuits contributing to PD subtypes and validate biological markers. As a future step, the investigator will apply what is learned from the training and research aims described herein to examine the molecular genetics associated with PD typologies and apply acquired knowledge regarding PD subtypes to the examination of treatment response, with the goal of improving treatment efficacy. The proposed training will provide the investigator with a unique skill base and experience needed to conduct innovative, high quality psychiatric genetic research as an independent clinical investigator.