The mission of PNGU is to identify and characterize the genetic basis of psychiatric, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders and to translate these discoveries to improvements in clinical care and public health.
Susan Santangelo, Sc.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Associate Professor in Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health
Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit
Center for Human Genetic Research
Massachusetts General Hospital
Richard B. Simches Research Center
185 Cambridge St., Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-726-7876
Fax:617-726-0830
Email: ssantangelo@pngu.mgh.harvard.edu
Dr. Santangelo is Associate Professor at the Harvard Medical School (Psychiatry), and the Harvard School of Public Health (Epidemiology), where she has been a faculty member since 1994. She directs the Statistical Genetics and Genetic Epidemiology Lab in the Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit (PNGU) within the Center for Human Genetic Research at MGH.
A genetic epidemiologist, also trained in psychiatric epidemiology, her work is focused on gene finding and phenotype delineation for a number of psychiatric disorders, with a particular focus on autism. Dr. Santangelo has also studied age-related macular degeneration, Tourette's syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression, attention deficit disorder, smoking and nicotine addiction, and schizophrenia.
As an internationally recognized expert on the genetics of autism, Dr. Santangelo is a founding member of the Autism Consortium (AC) Steering Committee, and a member of the AC Genefinding Working Group. She was the Principal Investigator of the AC Phenotype Working Group, and of the recently ended AC-funded study, ‘Phenotypic and Genetic Factors for ASD,’ which collected comprehensive behavioral phenotype data on over 500 families, including parents and siblings, in three years. She serves on the editorial boards of Molecular Autism, the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B, Neuropsychiatric Genetics, and Frontiers in Applied Genetic Epidemiology. Currently, Dr. Santangelo is Principal Investigator of two studies of autism funded by the Department of Defense. One is an investigation of maternal dietary factors, other environmental factors, such as heavy metal exposure, and genetic factors that may influence the risk for autism spectrum disorders in children of the Nurses' Health Cohort II, with colleagues at the HSPH. The other, with Dr. Dara Manoach at the Martinos Center, is a high-resolution multi-modal neuroimaging investigation of brain connectivity to determine whether reduced brain structural and/or functional connectivity is associated with restricted, repetitive behaviors and specific genes.
Projects:
- Fetal Antecedents to Sex Differences in Depression: A Translational Approach: Co-I
Genes & Hormonal Fetal Antecedents to Sex Differences in the Brain in Depression
The major goal of this project is to test hypotheses regarding sex differences in the onset and manifestation of major depressive disorder via the analyses of functional and structural magnetic imaging data and hormonal evaluations regarding fetal antecedents to sex differences in brain abnormalities and neuroendocrine dysfunction in this disorder.
Funding: NIMH, ORWH
Role: Principal Investigator of Subcontract to conduct Project 1
- Maternal Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children of the PI Nurses' Health Study II: PI
The goal of this project is to identify maternal dietary factors, other environmental factors, such as heavy metal exposure, and genetic factors that may influence the risk for autism spectrum disorders in children of a large longitudinal study of a cohort of nurses.
Funding: Department of Defense
Role: Principal Investigator
- Neural Correlates of Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorders: PI
The primary aim of this study is to illuminate the neural basis (functional and structural brain connectivity) of restricted, repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorders and its relation to genes in the serotonergic and tetrahydrobiopterin pathways. Functional and structural connectivity is being assessed via fMRI and DTI.
Funding: Department of Defense
Role: Principal Investigator
- Mapping Genes for Neurocognitive Endophenotypes: PI
This study will attempt to map the chromosomal locations of genes underlying neurocognitive traits known to be associated with schizophrenia, such as impaired sensory gating, sustained focused attention, and working memory. The study sample is a homogeneous, genetically isolated population in eastern Nepal, consisting of over 2800 individuals in a single, six-generation extended pedigree.
Funding: NIH/NIMH R01 MH068498
Role: Principal Investigator
Publications:
Staff:
Elise Robinson, Sc.D.
Title: Post-Doctoral fellow, HSPH
Education: Sc.D. in Psychiatric Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health; M.P.H. in Behavioral Health, Emory University; B.A. in Anthropology, Dartmouth College
Research Interests: Using epidemiologic and twin modeling approaches to understand the etiologic structure of behavior problems, particularly those phenotypically related to autism spectrum disorders.
Kristen Lyall, Sc.D.
Title: Post-Doctoral fellow, HSPH and U.C. Davis.
Education: Sc.D. in Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health ; B.A. Middlebury College
Research Interests: Epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Hobbies: Running, hiking, outdoor adventures
Dongmei Yu, M.S.
Title: Statistician
Education: M.S. in Biostatistics in University of Washington, M.S. in Genetics in Peking University
Research Interests: Genetic analysis of quantitative traits, large pedigrees, GWAS methods
Hometown: Heilongjing, China
Hobbies: Hiking, reading, dancing (but haven't got time for it for almost a life time).
Shun-Chiao Chang, Sc.D.
Title: Post-doctoral fellow in Epidemiology, HSPH
Education: Sc.D. in Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health; M.S. in Epidemiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; B.S. Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Research Interests: Genetic epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders, other neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, GWAS methods
Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan
Alumni:
Roksana Sasanfar, M.D.
Current Title: Instructor in Psychiatry, HMS
Education: M.D. Azad University, Medical School, Tehran, Iran
Research Interests: Genetic epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders, statistical genetics
Hometown: Tehran, Iran
Tatiana Sitnikova, Ph.D.
Current Title: Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Education: Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychiatry, Tufts University, Medford, MA
Research interests: Neurocognitive endophenotypes of schizophrenia; neuroimaging, neuroanatomy; functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electrophysiological brain potentials (ERPs); comprehension of goal-directed actions in schizophrenia
Hometown: St. Petersburg, Russia
Hobbies: hiking, filmmaking
Steve Haddad, M.S.
Current title: Lab Project Manager, Center for Human Genetic Research
Education: BA, Biology, Dartmouth College and MS, Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health
Research Interests: Anxiety, depression and autism genetics
Hometown: Byfield, MA
Hobbies: Basketball, tennis and sailing
Rachel Travolta
Title: Clinical Research Assistant
Education: B.A. Psychology, Scripps College
Research Interests: Communication/Social development in autism
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Hobbies: Cooking, Traveling
Molly Galdston
Title: Clinical Research Assistant
Education: B.A. in Psychology, Wheaton College, Norton, MA
Research Interests: Autism; Impact of Maternal Mental Illness on Development; Parent-Child Attachment
Hometown: New York, NY
Hobbies: Photography, Reading, Traveling
Nicole Coggins
Title: Clinical Research Coordinator
Education: B.A. in Psychology from Rhode Island College, Providence RI
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Hobbies: Reading, Music and Traveling
Janice Lomibao
Title: Clinical Research Assistant
Education: B.A. Music / Brain & Cognitive Sciences - University of Rochester
Research Interests: Autism, Language Development, Childhood Disorders
Hometown: Canton, CT
Hobbies: Music, Travel, Cooking/Baking
Andy Duda
Title: Clinical Research Project Manager
Education: M.S. Genetic Counseling, Brandeis University May 2006
Research Interests: Genetics of Autism
Hometown: Palmer, MA
Hobbies: Cycling
Amy Gates
Title: Clinical Research Coordinator
Education: B.A. in Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA
Sara Kleinfelder
Title: Clinical Research Coordinator
Education: B.S. in Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Rebecca Droms
Title: Clinical Research Coordinator
Education: B.A. in Psychology, B.A. in Child Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA
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