David M. Howard

Data Resource Profile: Whole Blood DNA Methylation Resource in Generation Scotland (MeGS)

The paper describes a large DNA methylation dataset from the Generation Scotland cohort, providing methylation profiles and associated phenotypes for research purposes.

What's UPDOG? A novel tool for trans-ancestral polygenic score prediction

UPDOG improves trans-ancestral polygenic score prediction by considering genetic architecture of both discovery and test cohorts, showing improvements in two-thirds of cases across four ancestries and six phenotypes.

Investigating the genetic relationship between depression symptoms and Alzheimer's disease in clinically diagnosed and proxy cases

This study investigates the genetic relationship between depression symptoms and Alzheimer's disease using GWAS and finds significant genetic correlations but no causal link, suggesting proxy cases may drive the overlap.

A Sex-Specific Genome-Wide Association Study of Depression Phenotypes in UK Biobank

This study identifies sex-specific genetic markers and pathways for depression using UK Biobank data, showing distinct genetic correlations and predictive power in males and females.

Local CpG density affects the trajectory of age-associated epigenetic changes

The paper shows that local CpG density influences age-related DNA methylation changes in humans by analyzing longitudinal methylation data and SNP data from 600 individuals.

Exploring polygenic-environment and residual-environment interactions for depressive symptoms within the UK Biobank

The paper investigates gene-environment interactions for depressive symptoms using UK Biobank data, finding limited polygenic-environment interactions but significant residual-environment interactions.

Methylome-wide association study of early life stressors and adult mental health reveals a relationship between birth date and cell type composition in blood

This study investigates the relationship between early life stressors and adult mental health through methylome-wide association studies, finding no evidence of methylome mediation but linking birth date to blood cell type composition.

Multiple measures of depression to enhance validity of Major Depressive Disorder in the UK Biobank

This study uses multiple depression measures to improve the validity of Major Depressive Disorder cases in the UK Biobank, finding increased genetic contribution with more measures.

The effects of polygenic risk for psychiatric disorders and smoking behaviour on psychotic experiences in UK Biobank

The paper examines how polygenic risk for psychiatric disorders and smoking behavior influence psychotic experiences in UK Biobank participants, finding independent and synergistic effects.

Epigenetic clocks predict prevalence and incidence of leading causes of death and disease burden

This study shows that DNAm GrimAge predicts disease incidence and prevalence better than other epigenetic clocks in a large cohort.

Using Major Depression Polygenic Risk Scores to Explore the Depressive Symptom Continuum

This study uses polygenic risk scores for major depression to examine the continuous nature of depressive symptoms across a large UK Biobank sample.

A phenome-wide association and Mendelian Randomisation study of polygenic risk for depression in UK Biobank

This study identifies traits associated with polygenic risk for depression using UK Biobank data and finds causal links between depression risk and brain structure, as well as environmental interactions.

Expression quantitative trait loci-derived scores and white matter microstructure in UK Biobank: a novel approach to integrating genetics and neuroimaging

The paper associates eQTL-derived gene expression scores with white matter microstructure in UK Biobank, identifying 8 significant genetic proxies linked to structural connectivity traits.

Genetic and shared couple environmental contributions to smoking and alcohol use in the UK population

The paper examines genetic and shared couple environmental factors influencing smoking and alcohol use in the UK population using family and couple data.

A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of epigenetic age acceleration

This paper conducts GWAS on two epigenetic age acceleration measures, identifying genetic variants and genes associated with each, and highlighting differences in their genetic architectures.

Genetic stratification of depression in UK Biobank suggests a subgroup linked to age of natural menopause

The paper identifies a genetic subgroup within depression linked to age of natural menopause using UK Biobank data, but finds no replication in other cohorts.

Factors associated with sharing email information and mental health survey participation in two large population cohorts

The paper identifies genetic loci associated with email contact and mental health survey participation in two cohorts, finding genetic correlations with education, health, and psychological distress.

Genetic comorbidity between major depression and cardio-metabolic disease, stratified by age at onset of major depression.

This study investigates genetic associations between major depression and cardio-metabolic traits, finding shared genetic aetiology regardless of depression onset age.

Stratifying depression by neuroticism: revisiting a diagnostic tradition using GWAS data

This study uses GWAS data to decompose the genetic basis of depression and neuroticism, finding shared and unique genetic factors associated with different traits.

Genome-wide meta-analysis of depression identifies 102 independent variants and highlights the importance of the prefrontal brain regions.

A meta-analysis of 807,553 people from 23andMe, UK Biobank and PGC finds 102 depression variants. 87 of them replicate in 1,306,354 individuals, and heritability is enriched in prefrontal brain regions.

Genome-wide association study meta-analysis of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) in two population-based cohorts (N=141,932)

This paper performs a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of AUDIT scores in two cohorts, identifying risk loci and genetic correlations with alcohol consumption and psychiatric disorders.

Resting-state connectivity and its association with cognitive performance, educational attainment, and household income in UK Biobank (N = 3,950)

The paper examines resting-state brain connectivity in UK Biobank data and finds associations with cognitive performance, educational attainment, and household income.

Genome-wide association study of depression phenotypes in UK Biobank (n = 322,580) identifies the enrichment of variants in excitatory synaptic pathways

This study conducts a GWAS on depression phenotypes in UK Biobank, identifying genetic variants enriched in excitatory synaptic pathways.

Genetic and environmental determinants of stressful life events and their overlap with depression and neuroticism

The paper investigates the genetic and environmental contributions to stressful life events and their overlap with depression and neuroticism using a large family-based sample.

Genome-Wide Meta-Analyses Of Stratified Depression In Generation Scotland And UK Biobank

This study performs genome-wide meta-analyses of depression in two large cohorts, finding one significant locus and suggesting larger sample sizes may be more informative than phenotypic stratification.

116 independent genetic variants influence the neuroticism personality trait in over 329,000 UK Biobank individuals.

The paper identifies 116 independent genetic variants associated with neuroticism in over 329,000 UK Biobank participants and finds genetic correlations with mental health traits.

Genome-wide haplotype-based association analysis of major depressive disorder in Generation Scotland and UK Biobank

This study performs a genome-wide haplotype-based association analysis for major depressive disorder using two cohorts, identifying significant haplotypes potentially linked to the disorder.

Accelerated Epigenetic Ageing in Major Depressive Disorder

This study finds accelerated epigenetic ageing in major depressive disorder (MDD) cases compared to controls using the Horvath clock, partially mediated through BMI.

Do Regional Brain Volumes and Major Depressive Disorder Share Genetic Architecture: a study in Generation Scotland (n=19,762), UK Biobank (n=24,048) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (n=5,766)

This study investigates shared genetic architecture between subcortical brain volumes and MDD using GWAS data from multiple cohorts, finding a non-significant positive genetic correlation for hippocampal volume.

Genome-wide association study of alcohol consumption and genetic overlap with other health-related traits in UK Biobank (N=112,117).

This study conducts a GWAS of alcohol consumption in UK Biobank, identifying 8 loci, including novel associations, and reports genetic overlaps with schizophrenia, HDL cholesterol, smoking, and anthropometric traits.