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NEWSLETTER N°11 – SEPTEMBER 2019 © Christophe Moratal © Christophe NEWSLETTER N°11 – SEPTEMBER 2019 © Christophe Moratal © Christophe EDITORIAL The Synapy group Villars, March 2019 by Alexandre Dayer Synapsy and Genetics: an Adventure Ahead From a historical perspective, early determined whether PRS will have suf- working under the supervision of Prof. hypotheses about risk genes in psy- ficient power to stratify Synapsy clinical Dermitzakis and Reymond will inter- chiatry were based on candidate gene cohorts in a biologically relevant man- act with Synapsy clinicians and begin approaches and were largely incor- ner and whether they could contribute to interrogate the use of PRS in clini- rect. These studies were performed in to delineate high-risk states and predict cal cohorts. The focus on genetics will small-sized cohorts and led to a repli- disease conversion. initially be put on Axis-1 cohorts, which cation crisis. However, in the past few For Phase 3, Synapsy has decided to are more genetically-driven than those years, genome-wide association studies tackle these timely questions and this found in Axis-2. of psychiatric phenotypes have been will be the topic of the current news- Finally, Synapsy has continued performed in large-scale collaborative letter. By teaming up with Emmanouil to grow and has recently incorpo- cohorts and led to the successful identi- Dermitzakis, Director of the Genome rated into its network new affiliated fication of polygenetic risk scores (PRS). Center at Campus Biotech (University members. In this newsletter, you will PRS are the result of the combination of of Geneva) and Alexandre Reymond, discover six additional profiles of psy- hundreds of common variants and are Director of the Center for Integrative chiatric researchers in the Lemanic considered to be robust. Whether PRS Genomics (University of Lausanne) area working in the fields of genetics, derived from large-scale cohorts can Synapsy will have sufficient method- brain development, early-life stress and be used successfully in smaller cohorts ological support to begin to investi- high-risk states. These newcomers will such as the ones studied within Synapsy gate genetic variants in clinical cohorts. continue to enrich the network in the research groups remains an open ques- More specifically, new postdoctoral coming years and hopefully lead to new tion. More specifically it remains to be researchers trained in genetics and synergies. ● N°11 – SEPTEMBER 2019 (ENGLISH) NEWSLETTER Bringing Together Brain Research and Psychiatry NATIONAL CENTRE OF COMPETENCE IN RESEARCH (NCCR) SYNAPSY Naonal Centre of Competence in Research Editor Contact NCCR-Synapsy NCCR-Synapsy Texts Campus Biotech Y. Bernardinelli – lesmotsdelascience.ch Ch. des Mines 9 Layout 1202 Geneva C. von Tobel – lacivette.ch Switzerland Print +41 21 379 11 21 Reprographie UNIMAIL [email protected] nccr-synapsy.ch NEWSLETTER N°11 – SEPTEMBER 2019 INTERVIEW – AFFILIATED MEMBER Emmanouil Dermitzakis “Producing Something Together is so Rewarding!” Emmanouil Dermitzakis is from affiliated member of Synapsy since 2018 disorders with Synapsy members Heraklion in Greece. After studying and is keen to help the consortium with inspire you? biology at the University of Crete, his expertise on genetic variants. We Producing something together is Emmanouil completed a PhD in genetics met him on the margins of his seminar so rewarding, I’m very excited. I like at Penn State University. He then joined during the last annual retreat in Villars. to work with a lot of people who have the University of Geneva as a post- Why did you choose to study complementary ideas and comple- doctoral fellow in the laboratory led genetics? mentary expertise. I’m just stating the by Stylianos Antonarakis. Emmanouil I have always been very interested in obvious but it’s not good when you’re left the Swiss City in 2001 to set up his DNA structure. When I was in last year the smartest person in the room. You own laboratory at the Sanger Institute, of high school, I focused all my attention need to be in a group where you’re con- a leading genomics center based on a book about genetic engineering. stantly intellectually challenged. I am near Cambridge, before returning to There were two pages in the middle not talking about intelligence but about Geneva in 2009 as a full professor in that described how to clone genes into expertise and the information people the Department of Genetic Medicine vectors and how to transform cells and can bring to the table. Initially, things and Development in the Faculty of flies. I realized that doing engineering are going to be very hard because we Medicine. Emmanouil’s laboratory with DNA was possible! Since I was hesi- won’t share the same language. I’m works on genetic variants and their cau- tating between biology and architec- very excited because I’m going to learn sality link with complex diseases such ture, I found this amazing. So, that’s why more, and learning is always the scien- as diabetes or cancer. He has been an I decided on biology, and I knew genet- tist’s intention, my intention. ics was going to be my primary focus. Collaborations and synergies are Do you have any interest in the important for research; what more brain? should be done to stimulate them? Not particularly, to be honest. My Funds are always a good motivation “organ” of interest is DNA! My initial for doing things; they force people to studies concentrated on thinking about work together because that’s where DNA function and how that function is they get the money. It’s a kind of top- modified by genetic variants. I was try- down approach for saying: “Show me ing to find the simplest possible model that your collaboration is fruitful and where you can study this, and the brain here’s the money” but it’s actually a is not the simplest possible model, good thing. The Swiss community, while either in terms of complexity or the extremely strong in basic science and availability of samples. The first experi- individuality, is not so strong when it ments in our lab were done with cell comes to team science. Switzerland has lines and, progressively, with tissues and not traditionally funded projects where organs. I’ve been working for a while a team has to work together on a sin- on type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular dis- gle problem. Even the Synergia grant ease and cancer. In the same way that from the SNSF has not been as good a cardiologist studies the heart, geneti- because it’s not large enough. The SNSF cists study genomes. But the genome is and other organizations should force everywhere, brain included. more people to work together because © E. Dermitzakis Does working on psychiatric that’s the way you can make the money 2 NCCR-SYNAPSY.CH NEWSLETTER N°11 – SEPTEMBER 2019 INTERVIEW – AFFILIATED MEMBER Alexandre Reymond Puzzled About the Way Nature Works Alexandre Reymond has a dual Do you have any interest in neuro- produce more knowledge. You bring biochemical and biological back- sciences and psychiatry? different minds together, they bring ground with undergraduate studies Yes, I have always run projects different perspectives and you get at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). related to the brain. More particularly, more out of it! Scientists are selfish, Alexandre entered research via a PhD I am used to working on the genet- and their instincts push them to be at the Swiss Institute of Experts on ics aspects of intellectual disability. the first to discover something. The Cancer Research (ISREC) before con- In fact, mutations causing intellectual adrenaline shot of seeing something tinuing with a post-doctoral fellowship disability are quite frequent because in a cell that nobody in the world has at Harvard Medical School. He built a lot of genes are important for the ever seen is amazing! However, the his first lab in Italy, at the Telethon proper functioning of the brain and of speed at which you can get these Institute of Genetic Medicine, where cognition. results increases massively when you he was studying human genetics. do team science. ● From there, Alexandre went back to Is the genetics variant approach Switzerland to the Department of well perceived by neuroscientists and Genetic Medicine at the University psychiatrists? of Geneva before joining the Center I think so. Of course, we bring a for Integrative Genomics (CIG) at UNIL new perspective. If it allows us to really in 2004 as a tenure track professor. begin to understand why one patient Alexandre is now a full professor and is different from another, it might be a the current CIG director. step in the right direction. If we can do How did your fascination for this, we will certainly be perceived well genetics develop? because we will facilitate the work of I am a passionate bird and mam- neuroscientists, psychologists, psychia- mal watcher, fascinated by the dif- trists and neurologists. ferent facets of nature. I’ve always been quite puzzled about how nature Is this an ambitious approach? works. In that sense, genetics was Yes, it is a challenging approach but just a natural step. For my studies, I a fun one. I think that’s also why we could have chosen zoology but I real- are doing this job. It’s always chang- ized that genetics actually offered the ing because technology is advancing, best tool for zoologists. At that time, I allowing us to ask new and challenging was more intellectually challenged by questions. ● genetics, keeping zoology as a hobby. © YB NCCR-SYNAPSY.CH 3 NEWSLETTER N°11 – SEPTEMBER 2019 INTERVIEW – AFFILIATED MEMBER Antje Horsch Deciphering the Inter-Generational Transmission of Stress and Trauma Antje Horsch holds the position of assistant professor at the Institute of Higher Education and Research in Health Care at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and in the Women and Children’s Department at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV).
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