Neurodevelopment
A person’s risk for mental illness involves a combination of genes, environment, and brain structure and function. Our lab uses integrated brain imaging, genomics, and clinical analyses to understand why some people develop mental health disorders such as schizophrenia or autism. Ultimately, we believe this approach will lead to new treatments and improved outcomes for people living with mental health disorders.
A person’s risk for mental illness involves a combination of genes, environment, and brain structure and function. Our lab uses integrated brain imaging, genomics, and clinical analyses to understand why some people develop mental health disorders such as schizophrenia or autism. Ultimately, we believe this approach will lead to new treatments and improved outcomes for people living with mental health disorders.
Imaging-genomics
We know that genes are important for clinical risk, developmental outcomes, and behavior in general. But with very few exceptions we don't know why. Brain imaging measures are an intermediate phenotype between genomic risk factors and behavior, which we use to help connect genetic risk to a mechanistic understanding of mental illness.
Brain Structure and Anatomy
There is a rich body of scientific literature showing brain MRI abnormalities in neurodevelopmental mental health disorders. Our lab uses computational models to investigate how brain MRI abnormalities result from alterations in brain growth and development, cellular properties, and gene expression differences between individuals.
fMRI Networks
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is used to map localized brain activity over time– taking advantage of flow of oxygenated blood to active brain tissue, which in turn alters local magnetic properties. Networks and sub-networks formed of functionally connected brain regions have similar activity patterns. We are interested in genetic influences on these fMRI networks and how they are altered in neurodevelopmental disorders.