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MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY AND GENETICS LAB
The mission of the Molecular Neurobiology and Genetics Laboratory is to advance our understanding of the etiology, pathophysiology, and therapeutics of the major psychiatric disorders. Our approach to this task has been multidisciplinary, employing integrated clinical, pre-clinical, and data management efforts that apply state-of-the-art methodologies to the study of brain disorders.
The current focus of our laboratory is on syndromes whose symptomatic onsets occur late in life, including Alzheimer's disease and major depression. Emerging evidence has revealed complex overlaps between these disorders and mental disorders that emerge earlier in life. These findings also indicate that the diatheses that lead to these late-onset conditions begin decades before symptoms become apparent - possibly as early as conception. These insights have led to an expansion in the scope of our research efforts across the life span.
The susceptibility of developing most psychiatric disorders is determined in part by contributions from genes that confer increased risk or have protective effects. Moreover, some of these genes appear to be shared among more than one psychiatric disorder. The goal of our genetic studies is to identify and characterize genes that influence the susceptibility of developing these disorders and other conditions that impede successful aging. Studies of these genes may improve our understanding of psychiatric disorders and of the normative aging process. They may also enable us to optimize the use of available treatments, provide molecular strategies for the design of new and better treatments, and offer potential opportunities for disease prevention and the enhancement of successful aging.
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