Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GenGeoRisk (Genetics, Geography and the Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Depression Risk)
Reporting period: 2021-02-01 to 2023-01-31
This project entitled, ‘Genetics, Geography and the Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Depression Risk (GenGeoRisk)’ combines rich geographical data on the entire Norwegian population, with genetic data on ~250, 000 participants from the Norwegian Mother Father and Child Study (MoBA) to tackle three key research barriers in depression genetics: 1) lack of success in identifying genetic variants specific to maternal depression; 2) ) inadequate account of environmental risk factors in genetic research; and 3) heterogeneity in how we define depression across studies. The MSCA Research Fellow conducting this research has advanced expertise in genetic methods and when combined with tailored training in environmental models, she achieved the projects overall research objective of improving prediction of women’s depression. This research is of acute interest to society because we can all name a family member, close friend, colleague, or acquaintance who has suffered from depression and by 2030 depression is predicted to be the largest contributor to disease burden worldwide. A key conclusion from this action is that variation in women's depression is not only influenced by mothers genes and her environments, but also the genes of her partner and child, which has important implications for reducing depressive symptoms in women. Our results support positive effects on women's depression when improving the mental health of their partners and children. Importantly, results show that indirect effects of partner and child genes on women's depression vary across the childbearing years with particularly pronounced effects on younger mothers. GenGeoRisk has also developed a new approach to modelling longitudinal cohort datasets like MoBa by using repeated measurements on the same women and their relatives. In doing so, the project has reduced some of the heterogeneity hindering depression studies and has provided new clues for finding the 100's of 1000's of genes that interplay with our environments to produce complex mental health problems
Over the course of the project I created a repository of genetic research tools which has been shared with PhD's, Postdocs and international collaborators to help integrate genetic methods into broad academic disciplines. I created the Genetics Network, an interdisciplinary seminar to introduce departmental graduate students, senior faculty and international collaborators to genetic analyses and to foster international collaborations. Finally, I supervised graduate students and provided a series of invited lectures to various institutions, conferences and workshops around Norway and internationally. The main results from this project have been communicated through various outlets targeting clinicians, policy makers, academics and the wider public, including a full page spread in the Norwegian popular science magazine Apollon. In addition, I have upload the work on open-access platforms that can be downloaded by members of the public, shared it on social media platforms as well as published in high-impact journals. The project findings are also summarised in a two minute accessible film with animation, in production with the Norwegian animation company RedAnt.
GenGeoRisk has contributed to a shift in understanding in depression heterogeneity while amassing an immense body of teaching resources that will continue to contribute to the training of highly competitive researchers. Our pre-registered results have received feedback from the scientific community ahead of submission to journals which has lead to a substantial number of new ideas, many of which have been integrated in my Research Council of Norway grant and my ERC Starter Grant applications. By communicating beyond the usual academic channels, this work has helped to increase public literacy of genetic findings. Because the project included a secondment and direct collaboration with Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, a leading Norwegian facility for mental health, our findings have the potential to reach the heart of the communities this research seeks to serve.