# Integrating developmental and genomic approaches to identify early trajectories of eating and internalizing disorder symptoms

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2024 · $587,548

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Eating disorders (ED) and non-eating disorders internalizing-spectrum disorders (nonED-INT; e.g., major
depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic
stress disorder) have major public health importance due to their prevalence and significant personal and
societal costs. These disorders often onset during adolescence and co-occur. Despite years of psychiatric
research, detection and prevention strategies for ED and nonED-INT are not optimal. Little is understood about
the developmental course of ED and nonED-INT symptoms, particularly their co-development, and the degree
to which shared vs. unique genetic and phenotypic factors underlie ED and nonED-INT risk. In this study, we
will elucidate the taxonomy of ED and nonED-INT symptoms: clarifying their joint (i.e., as an overarching
internalizing dimension) and specific developmental course and identifying genetic and environmental
predictors. We will leverage the rich genomic and phenotypic data from two large and well-characterized
cohorts - the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of
Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohorts. We will deliver developmental models of ED and nonED-INT
symptom course, explicate their joint and specific risk (genetic and environmental), and assess differences in
models across samples and race/ethnicities.
We propose three specific aims: First, using ABCD and ALSPAC data, we will empirically identify trajectories
of ED and nonED-INT symptoms across development for each cohort and assess stability of the models
across sex, race, and ethnicity. Second, using multi-trait genomic methods, we identify unique and common
genetic risk across ED and nonED-INT phenotypes. Finally, we will determine genetic and phenotypic
longitudinal predictors of ED and nonED-INT trajectories in each cohort and elucidate the stability and
robustness of a predictive model based on both genetic and early-life risk indicators.
In the short-term, our results will lend clarity to the taxonomy of ED and nonED-INT. In the long-term, improved
understanding of developmental pathways will aid early intervention and identification of high-risk youth.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10883304
- **Project number:** 1R01MH134039-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Nadia Micali
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $587,548
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-01 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10883304

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10883304, Integrating developmental and genomic approaches to identify early trajectories of eating and internalizing disorder symptoms (1R01MH134039-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10883304. Licensed CC0.

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