Genome-wide association studies, or GWAS, are very helpful in telling researchers where to focus their attention. They point out genetic linkers that have the potential to be used as medicines or diagnostics. GWAS identify genes or clusters of genes associated with greater risk for diseases and disorders.

But GWAS aren't a silver bullet...

Dr. Liz Tunbridge studies genetic risk factors for various psychiatric disorders. She has noted that while GWAS are very useful, they have many limitations, and the interpretations of such studies can be very complicated. Listen in to learn more about the challenges of turning this statistical information into something tangible and the complex therapeutic impacts of gene families.

 

About Dr. Tunbridge

Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Tunbridge is an Associate Professor at Oxford University. Her research focuses on how individual genetic variants change brain function in psychiatric disorders, with the hope that understanding this can lead to better treatments for patients.

Dr. Tunbridge is very active on Twitter!

Check out her TED Talk titled "Would there be mental illness in a utopia?"

Dr. Tunbridge is also a writer for The Conversation.

Learn more about her research here.

 

More Information

This episode features was recorded in San Diego, CA, where Connor Wander attended the BrightFocus Alzheimer’s Disease Fast Track conference, followed by the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting. The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is a well-known conference, drawing 28 thousand people annually.

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