William Byerley, MD
Staff Physician, Mental Health Service, Director, Neurogenetics Substance Abuse Program, SFVAMC
Professor of Psychiatry, UCSF
Email: william.byerley@ucsf.edu
Links Between Genes and Mental Illness
Dr. Byerley's laboratory is devoted to identifying genes that predispose people to neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder - which together affect an estimated 2 percent of the world's population - and drug abuse. Dr. Byerley was an early leader in the field and has made important linkages between specific chromosomes and these disorders. His lab has examined genes underlying dopamine, serotonin, and other brain chemicals that play a role in behavior and personality. Identification of genes will aid in the diagnosis of these disorders and in the development of new drugs and treatments.
Ross J, Berrettini W, Coryell W, Gershon ES, Badner JA, Kelsoe JR, McInnis MG, McMahon FJ, Murphy DL, Nurnberger JI Jr, Foroud T, Rice JP, Scheftner WB, Zandi P, Edenberg H, Byerley W. 2008. Genome-wide parametric linkage analyses of 644 bipolar pedigrees suggest susceptibility loci at chromosomes 16 and 20. Psychiatr Genet 18(4):191-8.
Bertisch H, Mesen-Fainardi A, Martin MV, Pérez-Vargas V, Vargas-Rodríguez T, Delgado G, Delgado C, Llach M, LaPrade B, Byerley W, Bunney WE, Vawter MP, DeLisi LE; Pritzker Neuropsychiatric Research Consortium. 2009. Neuropsychological performance as endophenotypes in extended schizophrenia families from the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Psychiatr Genet 19(1):45-52.
