Professor & Vice Chair for Basic Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
The Palmer lab examines the relationship between genes and behavior. By identifying genes that influence behavior they hope to obtain fundamental mechanistic insights into the molecular basis of both health and disease. Research projects use mice, rats and humans to pursue these goals.
By developing and refining methods for genome wide association studies (GWAS) in model organisms, and integrating these results with expression QTLs (eQTL), they've identified specific and testable hypotheses about the role of genes in behavioral and other traits.
Current studies based on genes identified using these methods include behavioral phenotypes related to drug abuse. Example phenotypes are acute and chronic responses to drugs of abuse and conditioned place preference. Associated studies include behaviors relevant to anxiety, PTSD, depression, schizophrenia and ADHD. Genes of particular interest include casein kinase 1 epsilon (Csnk1e), CUB and Sushi multiple domains 1(Csmd1), Cadherin 13 (Cdh13) and glyoxalase 1 (Glo1).
Work in human populations uses GWAS techniques to study intermediate phenotypes, such as the genetic factors that influence the subjective response to psychoactive drugs, principally amphetamine. Ongoing work examines the genetic basis of impulsive behavior.
Dr. Palmer trained in behavioral neuroscience, molecular biology, pharmacology and quantitative genetics. He received a doctoral degree in biomedical sciences from the University of California, San Diego, in 1999, followed by postdoctoral work in behavioral genetics at Oregon Health & Sciences University and genetics and genomics at Columbia University. For a decade, Dr. Palmer was a faculty member in Human Genetics, Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the University of Chicago. He is currently professor of Psychiatry and vice chair of Basic Research at UCSD and leads the NIDA Center of Excellence for GWAS in Outbred Rats, Genes and Addiction project.
Lab website: http://palmerlab.org/our-research/
Genes and Addiction website: http://ratgenes.org/