This grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (K01-MH093642-A1) supported the Mood and Immune Regulation in Twins (MIRT) Study, which seeks to examine the role of inflammation in the depression-diabetes relationship. MIRT consists of identical twins who were recruited out of the Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry (MATR), the largest twin registry in the United States. This study involved both lengthy personal interviews to assess stress exposure and mental health history, as well as clinical assessments of inflammation and glucose metabolism, including mRNA expression data. The overarching goal of this project is to evaluate environmental and genetic contributions, and their interaction, of the relationship between major depression and type 2 diabetes in later adulthood.

Select publications related to this project

Association between major depression and type 2 diabetes in mid-life: Findings from the Screening Across the Lifespan Twin Study. Psychosom Med 2015.

Integrating social science and behavioral genetics: Testing the origin of socioeconomic disparities in depression using a genetically informed design. Am J Public Health 2013.

Analysis of data from MIRT is ongoing. We have presented preliminary findings from this study at meetings of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics.