RESEARCH EDUCATION PROGRAM IN ASPECTS OF STATISTICAL GENETICS AND ADDICTION

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请寻求五年的支持，以开发，评估和微调一个新的研究教育计划（WU-STAGEM：华盛顿大学成瘾遗传学方法的统计培训），以培养博士后水平的科学家（5年资助期内9名）。受训人员（“计划参与者”）将包括美国和外国公民，来自生物统计学，数学，定量心理学和统计遗传学等背景。我们将为学员提供（i）开发，测试和应用新的统计和计算模型的专业知识，以解决成瘾中基于遗传学的研究问题，以及（ii）足够的培训，使参与者能够在多学科团队中与从事成瘾研究的基础和临床研究人员合作。项目博士后科学家将在指导团队的指导下进行培训，指导团队由（a）成瘾临床研究人员，（B）基础科学家，最重要的是（c）具有相关统计或计算建模专业知识的研究人员组成，并提供个性化定制的正式课程。他们将与主办机构和其他地方的成瘾遗传学家合作（例如，通过NIDA遗传学联盟）确定并在成瘾遗传学领域做出独特和迫切需要的贡献的领域进行研究，生产新的计算机软件，新的算法或统计遗传分析方法等产品，以推进成瘾遗传学领域。这些优先领域将包括（根据受训人员的背景、兴趣和专家意见而有所不同）：1）在GWAS数据的统计分析和解释中纳入生物信息学数据，2）在以不同的采样方案和稍微不同的表型评估为特征的数据集中组合GWAS数据的挑战，以及3）基因型x环境相互作用效应的建模，以及在基因发现的努力中考虑GxE效应。我们将利用现有的数据集，如NIDA遗传研究中心的数据集; www.example.com和dbGap，以及与当地调查人员相关的更广泛的数据集，在这项培训工作中。通过基础设施建设和持续的评估工作，在现有的优秀机构优势的基础上，我们将寻求开发一个自我维持的计划，利用华盛顿大学的广泛专业知识，可以为成瘾遗传学领域提供训练有素的统计和计算建模专家。 公共卫生相关性：合法和非法药物依赖是一个相当大的个人和公共卫生负担。个人遗传脆弱性在促成成瘾风险方面的重要作用已经得到充分证实。然而，在成瘾研究中具有统计遗传学和计算基因组学专业知识的调查人员严重短缺，这一申请旨在通过其博士后研究教育计划来解决这一需求。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application seeks five years of support to develop, evaluate and fine-tune a new research education program (WU-STAGEM: Washington University Statistical Training in Addiction Genetics Methodology), to train postdoctoral level scientists (9 over the 5-year funding period). Trainees ("program participants") will include both US and foreign nationals, drawn from backgrounds such as biostatistics, mathematics, quantitative psychology and statistical genetics. We will provide trainees with both (i) the expertise to develop, test and apply new statistical and computational models to address genetics-based research problems in addiction, and (ii) sufficient training to allow participants to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams alongside basic and clinical researchers engaged in addiction research. Program postdoctoral scientists will train under the guidance of mentoring teams composed of (a) clinical researchers in addiction, (b) basic scientists and, most critically, (c) researchers with pertinent statistical or computational modeling expertise, with the support of individually tailored formal coursework. They will work with addiction geneticists at the host institution and elsewhere (e.g., through the NIDA Genetics Consortium) to identify and conduct research in areas where unique and urgently needed contributions to the field of addiction genetics can be made, producing products such as novel computer software, novel algorithms or approaches to statistical genetic analysis, to advance the field of addiction genetics. These priority areas will include (varying according to trainee backgrounds and interests and expert input): 1) incorporation of bioinformatics data in the statistical analysis and interpretation of GWAS data, 2) challenges in the combination of GWAS data across data-sets characterized by differing sampling schemes and somewhat different phenotypic assessments, and 3) modeling of genotype x environment interaction effects, and incorporation of consideration of GxE effects in efforts at gene-discovery. We will take advantage of existing data sets such as those at the NIDA Center for Genetic studies; zork.wustl.edu/nida/ and at dbGap, as well as more extensive data-sets associated with local investigators, in this training effort. Through infrastructure development and continuing evaluation efforts, building upon outstanding existing institutional strengths, we will seek to develop a self-sustaining program, drawing upon the wide-ranging expertise at Washington University that can supply highly trained experts in statistical and computational modeling to the field of addiction genetics. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Licit and illicit drug dependence represents a considerable personal and public health burden. The important role of individual genetic vulnerability in contributing to addiction risk is well established. However, there is a critical shortage of investigators with expertise in statistical genetics and computational genomics working in addiction research, a need that this application seeks to address through its postdoctoral research education program.