Project Summary

Amanda J. Law, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of the University of Oxford, will study the role of the Neuregulin 1 gene in schizophrenia. Recently, Dr. Law has found that a disease-associated region of the Neuregulin 1 gene affects expression levels of a novel form of the gene, called Type IV, in the human brain. These findings suggest that biological pathways involving the isoform may be altered in schizophrenia. Neuregulin 1 plays critical roles in brain development; however, nothing is known about the biology of Type IV form. Dr. Law will use molecular and genetic technologies to characterize the Type IV and Neuregulin 1 genes in terms of cellular processes and brain development. Using genetically engineered animals, she will explore the cellular mechanisms by which variations in Type IV lead to deficits in brain development and behavior. She will use cell culture systems to characterize the distribution, processing, and actions of Type IV in neurons from the hippocampus, a brain region implicated in schizophrenia.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS\Schizophrenia

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