Transcriptomics of Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Abstract: 

The genetics of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders, Rett syndrome, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, are difficult to study based on DNA sequence alone due to the cellular complexity and transcriptome diversity in the brain. In this talk, I will discuss how new insights can be gained through combining transcriptomic and genetic data. In our recent study, we combined our data on enhancer RNAs (RNA-seq, CAGE) with previously published data on transcriptional start sites to define a set of Robust Brain Expressed Enhancers (rBEEs). We compared rBEEs with genome-wide association studies data of various neuropsychiatric disorders, and found that rBEEs are enriched for genetic variants associated with autism spectrum disorders. I will also outline our recent transcriptome study of the human Rett syndrome brain.

The seminar will be followed by drinks and finger food with the speaker in the staff room (RC-3082). All attendees are welcome!