Academic Profiles
Andrea Lynne Roberts
Research Scientists

Andrea Lynne Roberts

Principal Research Scientist

Environmental Health

aroberts@hsph.harvard.edu

Links

Overview

My research focuses on mental and cognitive health, including causes and consequences of autism, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and cognitive decline. I also study childhood abuse and its consequences, including PTSD, depression, intimate partner violence, and health-risk behaviors. I am particularly interested in the effects of childhood abuse on health across generations.

I am currently Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded study seeking to understand why children of women exposed to childhood abuse exhibit increased risk for a wide array of neurodevelopmental deficits, including anxiety, depression, autism, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study is examining biological dysregulation during pregnancy in hormonal function and immune function. To date, the study has documented that women who experienced abuse carry somewhat higher genetic risk for a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders than women who have not.

"What happens in child­hood -- like a child's footprints in wet cement -- commonly lasts throughout life. Time does not heal; time conceals."

- V. Felitti

Bibliography

Genome-wide association analyses identify 95 risk loci and provide insights into the neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Nievergelt CM, Maihofer AX, Atkinson EG, Chen CY, Choi KW, Coleman JRI, Daskalakis NP, Duncan LE, Polimanti R, Aaronson C, Amstadter AB, Andersen SB, Andreassen OA, Arbisi PA, Ashley-Koch AE, Austin SB, Avdibegoviç E, Babic D, Bacanu SA, Baker DG, Batzler A, Beckham JC, Belangero S, Benjet C, Bergner C, Bierer LM, Biernacka JM, Bierut LJ, Bisson JI, Boks MP, Bolger EA, Brandolino A, Breen G, Bressan RA, Bryant RA, Bustamante AC, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Bækvad-Hansen M, Børglum AD, Børte S, Cahn L, Calabrese JR, Caldas-de-Almeida JM, Chatzinakos C, Cheema S, Clouston SAP, Colodro-Conde L, Coombes BJ, Cruz-Fuentes CS, Dale AM, Dalvie S, Davis LK, Deckert J, Delahanty DL, Dennis MF, Desarnaud F, DiPietro CP, Disner SG, Docherty AR, Domschke K, Dyb G, Kulenovic AD, Edenberg HJ, Evans A, Fabbri C, Fani N, Farrer LA, Feder A, Feeny NC, Flory JD, Forbes D, Franz CE, Galea S, Garrett ME, Gelaye B, Gelernter J, Geuze E, Gillespie CF, Goleva SB, Gordon SD, Goçi A, Grasser LR, Guindalini C, Haas M, Hagenaars S, Hauser MA, Heath AC, Hemmings SMJ, Hesselbrock V, Hickie IB, Hogan K, Hougaard DM, Huang H, Huckins LM, Hveem K, Jakovljevic M, Javanbakht A, Jenkins GD, Johnson J, Jones I, Jovanovic T, Karstoft KI, Kaufman ML, Kennedy JL, Kessler RC, Khan A, Kimbrel NA, King AP, Koen N, Kotov R, Kranzler HR, Krebs K, Kremen WS, Kuan PF, Lawford BR, Lebois LAM, Lehto K, Levey DF, Lewis C, Liberzon I, Linnstaedt SD, Logue MW, Lori A, Lu Y, Luft BJ, Lupton MK, Luykx JJ, Makotkine I, Maples-Keller JL, Marchese S, Marmar C, Martin NG, Martínez-Levy GA, McAloney K, McFarlane A, McLaughlin KA, McLean SA, Medland SE, Mehta D, Meyers J, Michopoulos V, Mikita EA, Milani L, Milberg W, Miller MW, Morey RA, Morris CP, Mors O, Mortensen PB, Mufford MS, Nelson EC, Nordentoft M, Norman SB, Nugent NR, O'Donnell M, Orcutt HK, Pan PM, Panizzon MS, Pathak GA, Peters ES, Peterson AL, Peverill M, Pietrzak RH, Polusny MA, Porjesz B, Powers A, Qin XJ, Ratanatharathorn A, Risbrough VB, Roberts AL, Rothbaum AO, Rothbaum BO, Roy-Byrne P, Ruggiero KJ, Rung A, Runz H, Rutten BPF, de Viteri SS, Salum GA, Sampson L, Sanchez SE, Santoro M, Seah C, Seedat S, Seng JS, Shabalin A, Sheerin CM, Silove D, Smith AK, Smoller JW, Sponheim SR, Stein DJ, Stensland S, Stevens JS, Sumner JA, Teicher MH, Thompson WK, Tiwari AK, Trapido E, Uddin M, Ursano RJ, Valdimarsdóttir U, Van Hooff M, Vermetten E, Vinkers CH, Voisey J, Wang Y, Wang Z, Waszczuk M, Weber H, Wendt FR, Werge T, Williams MA, Williamson DE, Winsvold BS, Winternitz S, Wolf C, Wolf EJ, Xia Y, Xiong Y, Yehuda R, Young KA, Young RM, Zai CC, Zai GC, Zervas M, Zhao H, Zoellner LA, Zwart JA, deRoon-Cassini T, van Rooij SJH, van den Heuvel LL, Stein MB, Ressler KJ, Koenen KC.

Nat Genet. 2024 May. 56(5):792-808. PMID: 38637617

GWAS Meta-Analysis of Suicide Attempt: Identification of 12 Genome-Wide Significant Loci and Implication of Genetic Risks for Specific Health Factors.

Docherty AR, Mullins N, Ashley-Koch AE, Qin X, Coleman JRI, Shabalin A, Kang J, Murnyak B, Wendt F, Adams M, Campos AI, DiBlasi E, Fullerton JM, Kranzler HR, Bakian AV, Monson ET, Rentería ME, Walss-Bass C, Andreassen OA, Behera C, Bulik CM, Edenberg HJ, Kessler RC, Mann JJ, Nurnberger JI, Pistis G, Streit F, Ursano RJ, Polimanti R, Dennis M, Garrett M, Hair L, Harvey P, Hauser ER, Hauser MA, Huffman J, Jacobson D, Madduri R, McMahon B, Oslin DW, Trafton J, Awasthi S, Berrettini WH, Bohus M, Chang X, Chen HC, Chen WJ, Christensen ED, Crow S, Duriez P, Edwards AC, Fernández-Aranda F, Galfalvy H, Gandal M, Gorwood P, Guo Y, Hafferty JD, Hakonarson H, Halmi KA, Hishimoto A, Jain S, Jamain S, Jiménez-Murcia S, Johnson C, Kaplan AS, Kaye WH, Keel PK, Kennedy JL, Kim M, Klump KL, Levey DF, Li D, Liao SC, Lieb K, Lilenfeld L, Marshall CR, Mitchell JE, Okazaki S, Otsuka I, Pinto D, Powers A, Ramoz N, Ripke S, Roepke S, Rozanov V, Scherer SW, Schmahl C, Sokolowski M, Starnawska A, Strober M, Su MH, Thornton LM, Treasure J, Ware EB, Watson HJ, Witt SH, Woodside DB, Yilmaz Z, Zillich L, Adolfsson R, Agartz I, Alda M, Alfredsson L, Appadurai V, Artigas MS, Van der Auwera S, Azevedo MH, Bass N, Bau CHD, Baune BT, Bellivier F, Berger K, Biernacka JM, Bigdeli TB, Binder EB, Boehnke M, Boks MP, Braff DL, Bryant R, Budde M, Byrne EM, Cahn W, Castelao E, Cervilla JA, Chaumette B, Corvin A, Craddock N, Djurovic S, Foo JC, Forstner AJ, Frye M, Gatt JM, Giegling I, Grabe HJ, Green MJ, Grevet EH, Grigoroiu-Serbanescu M, Gutierrez B, Guzman-Parra J, Hamshere ML, Hartmann AM, Hauser J, Heilmann-Heimbach S, Hoffmann P, Ising M, Jones I, Jones LA, Jonsson L, Kahn RS, Kelsoe JR, Kendler KS, Kloiber S, Koenen KC, Kogevinas M, Krebs MO, Landén M, Leboyer M, Lee PH, Levinson DF, Liao C, Lissowska J, Mayoral F, McElroy SL, McGrath P, McGuffin P, McQuillin A, Mehta D, Melle I, Mitchell PB, Molina E, Morken G, Nievergelt C, Nöthen MM, O'Donovan MC, Ophoff RA, Owen MJ, Pato C, Pato MT, Penninx BWJH, Potash JB, Power RA, Preisig M, Quested D, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Reif A, Ribasés M, Richarte V, Rietschel M, Rivera M, Roberts A, Roberts G, Rouleau GA, Rovaris DL, Sanders AR, Schofield PR, Schulze TG, Scott LJ, Serretti A, Shi J, Sirignano L, Sklar P, Smeland OB, Smoller JW, Sonuga-Barke EJS, Trzaskowski M, Tsuang MT, Turecki G, Vilar-Ribó L, Vincent JB, Völzke H, Walters JTR, Weickert CS, Weickert TW, Weissman MM, Williams LM, Wray NR, Zai CC, Agerbo E, Børglum AD, Breen G, Demontis D, Erlangsen A, Gelernter J, Glatt SJ, Hougaard DM, Hwu HG, Kuo PH, Lewis CM, Li QS, Liu CM, Martin NG, McIntosh AM, Medland SE, Mors O, Nordentoft M, Olsen CM, Porteous D, Smith DJ, Stahl EA, Stein MB, Wasserman D, Werge T, Whiteman DC, Willour V, Coon H, Beckham JC, Kimbrel NA, Ruderfer DM.

Am J Psychiatry. 2023 10 01. 180(10):723-738. PMID: 37777856

Discovery of 95 PTSD loci provides insight into genetic architecture and neurobiology of trauma and stress-related disorders.

Nievergelt CM, Maihofer AX, Atkinson EG, Chen CY, Choi KW, Coleman JR, Daskalakis NP, Duncan LE, Polimanti R, Aaronson C, Amstadter AB, Andersen SB, Andreassen OA, Arbisi PA, Ashley-Koch AE, Austin SB, Avdibegoviç E, Babic D, Bacanu SA, Baker DG, Batzler A, Beckham JC, Belangero S, Benjet C, Bergner C, Bierer LM, Biernacka JM, Bierut LJ, Bisson JI, Boks MP, Bolger EA, Brandolino A, Breen G, Bressan RA, Bryant RA, Bustamante AC, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Bækvad-Hansen M, Børglum AD, Børte S, Cahn L, Calabrese JR, Caldas-de-Almeida JM, Chatzinakos C, Cheema S, Clouston SAP, Colodro-Conde L, Coombes BJ, Cruz-Fuentes CS, Dale AM, Dalvie S, Davis LK, Deckert J, Delahanty DL, Dennis MF, deRoon-Cassini T, Desarnaud F, DiPietro CP, Disner SG, Docherty AR, Domschke K, Dyb G, Kulenovic AD, Edenberg HJ, Evans A, Fabbri C, Fani N, Farrer LA, Feder A, Feeny NC, Flory JD, Forbes D, Franz CE, Galea S, Garrett ME, Gelaye B, Gelernter J, Geuze E, Gillespie CF, Goci A, Goleva SB, Gordon SD, Grasser LR, Guindalini C, Haas M, Hagenaars S, Hauser MA, Heath AC, Hemmings SM, Hesselbrock V, Hickie IB, Hogan K, Hougaard DM, Huang H, Huckins LM, Hveem K, Jakovljevic M, Javanbakht A, Jenkins GD, Johnson J, Jones I, Jovanovic T, Karstoft KI, Kaufman ML, Kennedy JL, Kessler RC, Khan A, Kimbrel NA, King AP, Koen N, Kotov R, Kranzler HR, Krebs K, Kremen WS, Kuan PF, Lawford BR, Lebois LAM, Lehto K, Levey DF, Lewis C, Liberzon I, Linnstaedt SD, Logue MW, Lori A, Lu Y, Luft BJ, Lupton MK, Luykx JJ, Makotkine I, Maples-Keller JL, Marchese S, Marmar C, Martin NG, MartÍnez-Levy GA, McAloney K, McFarlane A, McLaughlin KA, McLean SA, Medland SE, Mehta D, Meyers J, Michopoulos V, Mikita EA, Milani L, Milberg W, Miller MW, Morey RA, Morris CP, Mors O, Mortensen PB, Mufford MS, Nelson EC, Nordentoft M, Norman SB, Nugent NR, O'Donnell M, Orcutt HK, Pan PM, Panizzon MS, Pathak GA, Peters ES, Peterson AL, Peverill M, Pietrzak RH, Polusny MA, Porjesz B, Powers A, Qin XJ, Ratanatharathorn A, Risbrough VB, Roberts AL, Rothbaum BO, Rothbaum AO, Roy-Byrne P, Ruggiero KJ, Rung A, Runz H, Rutten BPF, de Viteri SS, Salum GA, Sampson L, Sanchez SE, Santoro M, Seah C, Seedat S, Seng JS, Shabalin A, Sheerin CM, Silove D, Smith AK, Smoller JW, Sponheim SR, Stein DJ, Stensland S, Stevens JS, Sumner JA, Teicher MH, Thompson WK, Tiwari AK, Trapido E, Uddin M, Ursano RJ, Valdimarsdóttir U, van den Heuvel LL, Van Hooff M, van Rooij SJ, Vermetten E, Vinkers CH, Voisey J, Wang Z, Wang Y, Waszczuk M, Weber H, Wendt FR, Werge T, Williams MA, Williamson DE, Winsvold BS, Winternitz S, Wolf EJ, Wolf C, Xia Y, Xiong Y, Yehuda R, Young RM, Young KA, Zai CC, Zai GC, Zervas M, Zhao H, Zoellner LA, Zwart JA, Stein MB, Ressler KJ, Koenen KC.

medRxiv. 2023 Sep 02. PMID: 37693460

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