Awardee: Emma Johnson, Ph.D.
Key findings:
- A complex combination of many genes underly any given behavioral or psychological outcome (e.g., substance use, schizophrenia).
- The same genes that influence substance use disorders can influence other psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
- While there is some degree of overlap, the genetic architecture of substance use disorders may be somewhat distinct from the genetic architecture of other forms of substance use.
Potential future impact:
- Understanding genetic risk for substance use disorders can reduce stigma, encourage empathy, and foster understanding.
- Genetic research could be used to improve risk stratification and treatment efforts.
- Researchers using genetic data should consider using multiple methods and frameworks.
QUOTE: “There’s no one gene for any psychiatric disorder.”
The capacity to analyze the human genome is heralded as a before-and-after for the scientific community. Though it was known that human behavior, physical health outcomes, and even personality features are influenced by both environmental and genetic factors, the latter had for centuries remained a relative mystery. Many scientists hoped to finally unlock the mystery of genetic risk in the early 2000’s with the mapping of the human genome, a technological advance that made it possible for researchers to classify and investigate unique genetic profiles. Yet nearly two decades of research now suggest that when it comes to understanding genetic predisposition, there are just as many questions as answers.
“We know that there are many, many genetic variants that are influencing behaviors”, says Dr. Emma Johnson. A researcher at the forefront of modern genetic science, Dr. Johnson’s work aims to clarify the ways that our genes predispose us to psychological outcomes like substance use disorders and schizophrenia. What sets Dr. Johnson’s apart is her use of multiple methodological approaches—as opposed to relying on one modality, Dr. Johnson is known for her expertise across a range of analytic approaches commonly used to assess genetic data. For her substantial contributions to the field, FABBS is delighted to award Dr. Johnson with an Early Career Impact Award as nominated by the Behavior Genetics Association. In a recent interview with FABBS, Dr. Johnson shared her insights on the nuances of genetic research, as well as her journey as a scholar.
While pursuing her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder, Dr. Johnson found a way to marry her interests in statistics and biology by specializing in Behavioral, Psychiatric, and Statistical Genetics. “I stumbled into the field,” she says, “to me, it’s kind of the perfect combination of statistics, genetics, and evolutionary biology—and in the case of my research, a focus on improving our understanding of mental health, and hopefully improving treatments for psychiatric disorders.” As a graduate student, Dr. Johnson approached questions of genetics from an evolutionary perspective, exploring how selection pressures across generations can impact the genetic architecture of complex traits.
As an assistant professor at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Dr. Johnson has spent her early career conducting research that helps define the boundaries of genetic risk. She has conducted work exploring the genetics that underly comorbidities—when one physical or psychological outcome occurs in the presence of another. Dr. Johnson’s findings suggest a significant overlap between the genetic architecture of substance use disorders and suicidal tendencies, which helps us understand why these two psychological constructs are often observed together.
Another of Dr. Johnson’s contributions includes research that explores whether there are genetic factors that may help explain why some people who use a substance will develop an addiction, while others do not. For example, Dr. Johnson explored whether the genetic profiles of people who have a marijuana use disorder are different than those who have used marijuana but do not have a disorder. Her findings indicate that while there are overlapping genetic factors, there are also some differences between these groups, which seems to suggest that different aspects of one behavior (e.g., marijuana use) can have multiple genetic underpinnings. Collectively, Dr. Johnson’s work tells us that when it comes to defining genetic risk, we should think outside of the box. It may not be enough to tie one behavior or characteristic to one genetic profile.
An ultimate goal of Dr. Johnson’s research is to improve the ways that we diagnose and treat psychiatric disorders. “Generally speaking, we’re not super good at guessing what specific genes are going to be most important for a disorder”, Dr. Johnson explains. The underlying biology is more complex than that, and analyzing large, well-powered datasets with genomic data in combination with environmental risk factors is one path forward. Her contributions to the field have brought us closer to being able to harness genetic data in a way that captures the real-life complexities of genetic risk for psychiatric disorders. Dr. Johnson’s work is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation (BBRF).