My research is focused on delineating causal processes underlying major psychiatric disorders and comorbid traits.
I have worked primarily as a statistical geneticist examining genetic determinants of major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, obesity, and substance use and have focused on: (i) polygenic risk score profiling methodology, (ii) cross-ancestry genetic studies, and (iii) clinical and genetic associations between complex traits.
My research integrates clinical and dimensional phenotype assessments with molecular genetic data into comprehensive models of disease risk including models of comorbidity and direction of causation.
Experience
2017–present
Assistant Professor, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics
2019–present
Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, Institute for Genomic Health at SUNY Downstate
2013–2017
Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University
Education
2012
Virginia Commonwealth University, PhD in Human and Molecular Genetics
Publications
2019
Genome-wide association studies in ancestrally diverse populations: opportunities, methods, pitfalls, and recommendations. , Cell
2017
The Genetic Architecture of Major Depressive Disorder in Han Chinese Women. , JAMA Psychiatry
2017
Leveraging molecular genetic approaches to yield insights into major depression etiology and clinical presentation., JAMA Psychiatry
2015
Sparse whole-genome sequencing identifies two loci for major depressive disorder., Nature
Professional Memberships
International Society of Psychiatric Genetics
Behavior Genetics Association
Honours
The American Psychological Association Early Career Faculty Award, The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation NARSAD Young Investigator Award