Genetic and Pathophysiologic Investigation of Panic Disorder Typologies

描述（由申请人提供）：本K01指导研究科学家发展奖旨在提供精神病学和分子遗传学方面的高级研究培训，研究重点是恐慌症（PD）。Kenneth S. Kendler博士，医学博士，世界著名的精神遗传学研究者，将担任Roxann robertson - nay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提供了丰富、刺激的环境。这份申请概述了一个培训计划，使robertson - nay博士能够将她之前在焦虑症研究和神经影像学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，e)负责任的研究行为。该奖项的研究重点是PD，这是一种使人衰弱的精神疾病，其特征是意想不到的、反复发作的恐慌症。为了她的研究目的，研究者将采用多种方法来研究PD类型，其中她将检查PD的表型变异，以确定临床相关和有意义的亚型。这些结果将用于指导PD类型检查的多模态方法。也就是说，研究者将检查PD类型的风险因素和进展，并寻求确定赋予他们脆弱性的机制（即遗传，环境）。最后，研究者试图描述与PD亚型相关的特定神经回路，并验证生物标志物。作为未来的一步，研究者将运用从培训和研究目标中所学到的知识来研究与PD分型相关的分子遗传学，并将获得的PD亚型知识应用于治疗反应的检查，以提高治疗效果。建议的培训将为研究者提供作为独立临床研究者进行创新、高质量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.