Dalla Lana School of Public Health

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Join us for the next instalment of the STAGE International Speaker Seminar Series (ISSS) with

Kathleen Merikangas
Senior Investigator and Chief
Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch
Intramural Research Program
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Free Hybrid (In-person/Online) Event | Registration Required

Talk Title
Reuniting Families with Genetic Discovery

Abstract
With the advent of Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), genetic research has increasingly adopted large-scale case-control study designs to identify genetic risk factors for complex diseases and traits. However, such approaches— especially those relying on Electronic Health Records (EHRs)—have notable limitations, including phenotypic heterogeneity, non-equivalent control groups, and a lack of detailed clinical and environmental exposure data. These challenges are particularly relevant for complex diseases, which often exhibit both phenotypic and etiologic heterogeneity.

In this talk, Dr. Merikangas will demonstrate how traditional tools of genetic epidemiology can be applied to address these limitations, using data from the NIMH Family Study of Affective Spectrum Disorders. The lecture will focus on three key objectives: 1. Applying the family study approach to investigate core features, sex differences, comorbidity patterns, and the influence of shared environmental factors in complex diseases through familial aggregation and co-aggregation analysis. 2. Integrating GWAS-based methods—including Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) and Mendelian Randomization (MR)— with family-based studies to enhance our understanding of complex disease etiology. 3. Expanding the conceptualization of phenotypes from a static, cross-sectional model to a dynamic, life-span perspective.

Speaker Profile
Dr. Merikangas is a Distinguished Investigator and Chief of the Genetic Epidemiology Branch in the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology, and of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. After postdoctoral training in population genetics/genetic epidemiology at the Yale University School of Medicine, she became a Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, Psychiatry and Psychology, where she also directed a training and research program in psychiatric/genetic epidemiology.

Dr. Merikangas has authored more than 400 scientific publications and has presented lectures throughout the U.S. and in more than 20 countries. Her current research program at the NIMH Intramural Research Program includes community studies mental and physical disorders in adults and youth; multigenerational family studies of the core features of mood disorders and comorbid conditions; and the characterization of dynamics of emotions and behavior through active and passive mobile technology.