Page 29 - 2017-2018 Department of Psychiatry Annual Report

Dr. Martin Alda: The Killam Chair in Mood Disorders

In the 2017-2018 year the Killam association of polygenic risk scores analysis of brain imaging data in
Chair in Mood Disorders, Dr. Martin for schizophrenia with response to bipolar disorder using the ENIGMA
Alda, and his research group have lithium (Amare et al. JAMA Psychiatry consortium data. A paper reporting
been active in several areas. 2018) and are now completing similar the results is currently under review.
analyses with polygenic risk scores
They continue their genetic for depression. The development of the next edition
studies of bipolar disorder and of the Canadian Guidelines for
pharmacogenetics of lithium In the last three years the chair’s Treatment of Bipolar Disorder kept
response. One recently completed team collaborated on several studies several members of the chair’s team
study is the multicenter genomewide of neurons derived from induced busy over the last year. Dr. Alda and
association analysis of bipolar pluripotent stem cells. These studies Dr. Claire O’Donovan are among the
disorder conducted by the Psychiatric generated exciting findings and as authors of the guidelines published in
Genomics Consortium, of which the next step, they are proposing March 2018.
the mood disorders group is a to move these studies closer to
member. This has been the largest clinical applications and develop The team’s track record in studies
genome-wide association study of efficient screening platforms for of lithium has been recognized by
bipolar disorder to date; it included such testing in Canada, both at the recently established R-LINK
20,352 cases and 31,358 controls of Dalhousie University and at Montreal consortium funded by the Horizon
European descent. The results show Neurological Institute. 202 of the European Union. Dr. Alda
a total of 30 genetic loci that achieved is a member of the Scientific Advisory
genomewide significance, of which 20 Genetic studies are a large, but not Board for this prospective study of
genes are novel, not reported before. the only focus of the mood disorders lithium response.
A paper reporting these findings is group. Led by Dr. Tomas Hajek, they To further support their work, they
currently under review. continue brain imaging studies of
bipolar disorder in relation to the risk also continue applying for more
The team’s pharmacogenetic studies and the burden of the illness. Dr. substantial research funding through
are progressing as well. They Abraham Nunes and Dr. Hajek jointly both CIHR and Genome Canada.
have recently reported a negative oversaw the largest machine learning

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