Our Research - Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a severe mood disorder characterised by episodes of depression and episodes of mania. We conduct research into the diagnosis, causes and treatment of bipolar disorder using a wide range of approaches and datasets. We also work closely with patient groups, families and clinicians to prioritise our research questions and to deliver impact.
We aim to identify genetic and environmental risk factors for bipolar disorder, making use of both clinical and population cohorts, and we contribute to large-scale pharmacogenomic studies of treatments such as lithium therapy.
We also use health informatics and data linkage approaches to study longer-term clinical outcomes and the overlap with physical health problems.
Two relatively new avenues of bipolar disorder research include investigating the role of sleep/circadian disruption and mitochondrial dysfunction. Both of these areas are likely to be important for causing bipolar disorder and may open up novel treatment approaches.
UoE researchers who work in this area include:
- Professor Danny Smith, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Psychiatry (Head)
- Professor Stephen Lawrie, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Psychiatry
- Professor Andrew McIntosh, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Psychiatry
- Dr Heather Whalley, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Psychiatry
Useful weblinks for biopolar disorder research
- University of Bristol Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
- International Society for Bipolar Disorders Chronobiology Task Force
- UK Biobank
- University of North Carolina Psychiatric Genomics Consortium Bipolar Group
- International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen Consortium)