research overview
- My research is comprised of two main areas of interest. The first seeks to develop and apply novel statistical tools for examining widespread genetic overlap across psychiatric disorders and clinically relevant correlates (e.g., treatment response). To this end, I developed the Genomic Structural Equation Modeling (Genomic SEM) framework, that can be applied to examine the multivariate system of relationships across genetically correlated traits. I have extended this method to include both Stratified Genomic SEM and Transcriptome-wide SEM (T-SEM), that can be used to examine classes of genes and patterns of gene expression, respectively, that are associated with genetic overlap across traits of interest. My second line of research also includes methods development, but in this case the methods are designed to examine the genetic underpinnings associated with cognitive change and the unfolding of dementia risk across the lifespan. This second area of research has critical implications for understanding the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease related dementias (AD/ADRD).