Psychiatric Neurogenetics

Head: Dr. James Kennedy
Genetic factors play a role in the causes of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, some anxiety disorders, alcoholism, eating disorders, autism, impulse control disorders, and some dementias. This section is actively searching for the abnormal genes involved in the causes, expression, treatment and possible cures of these disorders. The section houses one of the world's most comprehensive collections of interview data and DNA samples from patients with psychiatric disorders and their families, allowing researchers to pursue diverse lines of inquiry, aided by new human genome technology, and make extensive comparisons among mental illnesses. Also under investigation are genetic factors that predict response and side effects to psychiatric medications.