Nelson Freimer

Image of Nelson Freimer

Dr. Nelson Freimer is Director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics and Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA. He also directs two UCLA core facilities (the Southern California Genotyping Consortium and the Biological Samples Processing Core) as well as the NINDS-funded Postdoctoral Training Program in Neurobehavioral Genetics. Dr. Freimer received an M.D. degree from the Ohio State University, and completed residency training in psychiatry (at UC San Francisco) and a postdoctoral fellowship in human genetics (at Columbia University). He joined the UCLA faculty in 2000 after 10 years on the faculty at UC San Francisco.

The research in Dr. Freimer's laboratory aims to identify the genetic basis of complex traits, particularly neurobehavioral phenotypes such as bipolar disorder, Tourette Syndrome, and temperament. Together with numerous collaborators the lab has centered its studies around three foci: 1) using genomewide genetic approaches to map neurobehavioral traits; 2) developing innovative approaches to phenotype neurobehavioral traits; 3) emphasizing the importance of population genetics for gene mapping, particularly the use of population isolates. Current studies in the lab include: 1) Phenomic investigation of neurobehavioral traits in large population samples. This project involves developing and applying new methods for genomewide investigations of multiple traits simultaneously, and is being undertaken under the auspices of the NIH Roadmap-funded Consortium for Neuropsychiatric Phenomics, of which Dr. Freimer is the Co-Director; 2) Endophenotype investigation of bipolar disorder in population isolates. This NIMH-funded project aims to map a wide range of quantitative traits hypothesized to underlie bipolar disorder, and builds on a longstanding international collaboration to genetically map susceptibility genes for bipolar disorder in two closely related population isolates, those of the Central Valley of Costa Rica and of Antioquia, Colombia; 3) Genetic association studies of Tourette Syndrome in population isolates. These NINDS-funded studies are being carried out in conjunction with the International Genetics Consortium of the Tourette Syndrome Association; 4) Genetic mapping of complex traits in a non-human primate model. These NCRR and NIMH funded studies are being carried out in collaboration with The Quebec Genome Innovation Centre.


Contact information


Laboratory Address:
Laboratory
Gonda 3554
695 Charles E. Young Drive South
Los Angeles, CA 90095
UNITED STATES

Work Address:
Office
Gonda 3506A
695 Charles E. Young Drive South
Los Angeles, CA 90095
UNITED STATES


Email: NFreimer@mednet.ucla.edu

Research Interests

Research Interests and Contribution

The research in Dr. Freimer's laboratory aims to identify the genetic basis of complex traits, particularly neurobehavioral phenotypes such as bipolar disorder, Tourette Syndrome, and temperament. Together with numerous collaborators the lab has centered its studies around three foci: 1) using genomewide genetic approaches to map neurobehavioral traits; 2) developing innovative approaches to phenotype neurobehavioral traits; 3) emphasizing the importance of population genetics for gene mapping, particularly the use of population isolates. Current studies in the lab include: 1) Phenomic investigation of neurobehavioral traits in large population samples. This project involves developing and applying new methods for genomewide investigations of multiple traits simultaneously, and is being undertaken under the auspices of the NIH Roadmap-funded Consortium for Neuropsychiatric Phenomics, of which Dr. Freimer is the Co-Director; 2) Endophenotype investigation of bipolar disorder in population isolates. This NIMH-funded project aims to map a wide range of quantitative traits hypothesized to underlie bipolar disorder, and builds on a longstanding international collaboration to genetically map susceptibility genes for bipolar disorder in two closely related population isolates, those of the Central Valley of Costa Rica and of Antioquia, Colombia; 3) Genetic association studies of Tourette Syndrome in population isolates. These NINDS-funded studies are being carried out in conjunction with the International Genetics Consortium of the Tourette Syndrome Association; 4) Genetic mapping of complex traits in a non-human primate model. These NCRR and NIMH funded studies are being carried out in collaboration with The Quebec Genome Innovation Centre.


Publications

Baharloo S, Johnston PA, Service SK, Gitschier J, Freimer NB Absolute Pitch: An approach for identifying genetic and non-genetic components.. Am J Hum Genet 1998; 62(2): 224-231.
Kang Hyun Min, Sul Jae Hoon, Service Susan K, Zaitlen Noah A, Kong Sit-Yee, Freimer Nelson B, Sabatti Chiara, Eskin Eleazar Variance component model to account for sample structure in genome-wide association studies.. Nature genetics. 2010; 42(4): 348-54.
Jasinska Anna J, Service Susan, Choi Oi-wa, DeYoung Joseph, Grujic Olivera, Kong Sit-yee, Jorgensen Matthew J, Bailey Julia, Breidenthal Sherry, Fairbanks Lynn A, Woods Roger P, Jentsch J David, Freimer Nelson B Identification of brain transcriptional variation reproduced in peripheral blood: an approach for mapping brain expression traits.. Human molecular genetics. 2009; 18(22): 4415-27.
Jasinska Anna J, Freimer Nelson B The complex genetic basis of simple behavior.. Journal of biology. 2009; 8(8): 71.
Fears Scott C, Melega William P, Service Susan K, Lee Chris, Chen Kelly, Tu Zhuowen, Jorgensen Matthew J, Fairbanks Lynn A, Cantor Rita M, Freimer Nelson B, Woods Roger P Identifying heritable brain phenotypes in an extended pedigree of vervet monkeys.. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 2009; 29(9): 2867-75.
Sabatti Chiara, Service Susan K, Hartikainen Anna-Liisa, Pouta Anneli, Ripatti Samuli, Brodsky Jae, Jones Chris G, Zaitlen Noah A, Varilo Teppo, Kaakinen Marika, Sovio Ulla, Ruokonen Aimo, Laitinen Jaana, Jakkula Eveliina, Coin Lachlan, Hoggart Clive, Collins Andrew, Turunen Hannu, Gabriel Stacey, Elliot Paul, McCarthy Mark I, Daly Mark J, Järvelin Marjo-Riitta, Freimer Nelson B, Peltonen Leena Genome-wide association analysis of metabolic traits in a birth cohort from a founder population.. Nature genetics. 2009; 41(1): 35-46.
Bearden Carrie E, Jasinska Anna J, Freimer Nelson B Methodological issues in molecular genetic studies of mental disorders.. Annual review of clinical psychology. 2009; 5(1): 49-69.
Freimer Nelson B, Service Susan K, Ophoff Roel A, Jasinska Anna J, McKee Kevin, Villeneuve Amelie, Belisle Alexandre, Bailey Julia N, Breidenthal Sherry E, Jorgensen Matthew J, Mann J John, Cantor Rita M, Dewar Ken, Fairbanks Lynn A A quantitative trait locus for variation in dopamine metabolism mapped in a primate model using reference sequences from related species.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2007; 104(40): 15811-6.
Woods Roger P, Freimer Nelson B, De Young Joseph A, Fears Scott C, Sicotte Nancy L, Service Susan K, Valentino Daniel J, Toga Arthur W, Mazziotta John C Normal variants of Microcephalin and ASPM do not account for brain size variability.. Human molecular genetics. 2006; 15(12): 2025-9.
Service Susan, DeYoung Joseph, Karayiorgou Maria, Roos J Louw, Pretorious Herman, Bedoya Gabriel, Ospina Jorge, Ruiz-Linares Andres, Macedo António, Palha Joana Almeida, Heutink Peter, Aulchenko Yurii, Oostra Ben, van Duijn Cornelia, Jarvelin Marjo-Riitta, Varilo Teppo, Peddle Lynette, Rahman Proton, Piras Giovanna, Monne Maria, Murray Sarah, Galver Luana, Peltonen Leena, Sabatti Chiara, Collins Andrew, Freimer Nelson Magnitude and distribution of linkage disequilibrium in population isolates and implications for genome-wide association studies.. Nature genetics. 2006; 38(5): 556-60.
Freimer Nelson, Sabatti Chiara The use of pedigree, sib-pair and association studies of common diseases for genetic mapping and epidemiology.. Nature genetics. 2004; 36(10): 1045-51.
Freimer Nelson, Sabatti Chiara The human phenome project.. Nature genetics. 2003; 34(1): 15-21.
Ophoff Roel A, Escamilla Michael A, Service Susan K, Spesny Mitzi, Meshi Dar B, Poon Wingman, Molina Julio, Fournier Eduardo, Gallegos Alvaro, Mathews Carol, Neylan Thomas, Batki Steven L, Roche Erin, Ramirez Margarita, Silva Sandra, De Mille Melissa C, Dong Penny, Leon Pedro E, Reus Victor I, Sandkuijl Lodewijk A, Freimer Nelson B Genomewide linkage disequilibrium mapping of severe bipolar disorder in a population isolate.. American journal of human genetics. 2002; 71(3): 565-74.
Glatt, CE DeYoung, JA Delgado, S Service, SK Giacomini, KM Edwards, RH Risch, N Freimer, NB Screening a large reference sample to identify very low frequency sequence variants: comparisons between two genes.. Nature genetics. . 2001; 27(4): 435-8.
Service, SK Ophoff, RA Freimer, NB The genome-wide distribution of background linkage disequilibrium in a population isolate.. Human molecular genetics. . 2001; 10(5): 545-51.