Molecular Evolution & Evolutionary Genetics

Genetics of Phenotypic Evolution
In my lab, we focus on disentangling and estimating the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on childhood psychiatric disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Conduct Disorder, temperament and personality traits such as negative emotionality, impulsivity, and aggression, as well as cognitive and neuropsychological "endophenotypes". We are currently using a gene-based approach to test for the association of these disorders, traits, and putative endophenotypes with candidate genes that underlie various aspects of neurotransmitter systems in several samples of children and adolescents.

Recent publications:

• Waldman, I.D., Nigg, J.T., Gizer, I.R., Park, L., Rappley, M., and Friderici, K. (2006). "The Adrenergic Receptor 2-a Gene (ADRA2a) and Neuropsychological Executive Functions as Putative Endophenotypes for Childhood ADHD." Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 6, 18
• Waldman, I.D. (2005). "Statistical Approaches to Complex Phenotypes: Evaluating Neuropsychological Endophenotypes for ADHD." Biological Psychiatry, 57, 1347-1356.
• Park, L., Nigg, J.T., Waldman, I.D., Nummy, K.A., Huang-Pollock, C., Rappley, M. Friderici, K.H. (2005). "Association and Linkage of a-2A Adrenergic Receptor Gene Polymorphisms with Childhood ADHD." Molecular Psychiatry, 10, 572-580.
• Waldman, I.D., Rowe, D.C., Abramowitz, A., Kozel, S.T., Mohr, J.H., Sherman, S.L., Cleveland, H.H., Sanders, M.L., & Stever, C. (1998). "Association and linkage of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children." American Journal of Human Genetics, 63, 1767-1776.

Population and Comparative Genomics
An emerging focus of my lab involves characterizing patterns of genetic variation in candidate genes relevant for psychiatric disorders, examining how such patterns vary across human populations, and understanding the implications of such variation for testing for associations between such genes and childhood psychiatric disorders, personality traits, and cognitive and neuropsychological endophenotypes. We are exploring the use of various bioinformatic tools and statistical genetic approaches to guide efficient marker selection for genotyping and optimal strategies for the analyses of candidate gene associations.

Website: http://www.psychology.emory.edu/clinical/waldman/index.html