Project Summary

Sylvia Buervenich, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of the National Institute of Mental Health, wants to identify and characterize genetic risk factors for bipolar affective disorder. In the proposed project, Dr. Buervenich will first use existing genomewide linkage data to identify genes that act together to increase risk for the disorder. She will then apply a computational adaptation of datamining for use with genetic data. The software being developed will also have value for the identification of risk genes in other complex psychiatric disorders. Second, she will study the gene GRIK2, which encodes an important brain-chemical signaling protein on chromosome 6, which has been linked to bipolar affective disorder. Dr. Buervenich’s previous research has found that genetic variation in GRIK2 increased risk of bipolar affective disorder in three large samples. She will now try to identify which changes in GRIK2 disturb gene function and increase risk for the condition. Understanding the biological pathways that affect risk for bipolar affective disorder will ultimately lead to better treatments.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS\Bipolar

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