Parental influences on early alcohol initiation: Leveraging family-based genetic designs and genomic data to unravel genetic and environmental pathways

About This Grant

The objective of this Pathway to Independence Award is to support Dr. Chen in establishing an independent research career investigating developmental pathways to alcohol use/misuse in adolescence and early adulthood. The overarching goal of this project is to understand how and why parental factors are significantly associated with adolescent early alcohol initiation. Understanding mechanisms behind such associations is crucial for developing effective prevention programs that target specific parental behaviors to prevent alcohol-related harms. Specifically, the proposed research integrates two important genetically informed approaches (family-based genetic designs and genomics) to examine three potential causes of associations between parental drinking behaviors/psychopathology and adolescent early alcohol initiation: (1) parents and children share genes; (2) parents and children live in the same environmental contexts; and (3) parental factors directly influence their children’s alcohol initiation. Specific Aim 1 (the K99 phase) uses family-based genetic designs that include twins, adoptees, and their extended family members; Specific Aim 2 (the R00 phase) integrates genomic data into models developed for family-based genetic studies to examine parent-child associations using data from an NIH-supported program ECHO including 50k+ families. Specific Aim 2 further examines potential mediators and moderators of parental influences to help understand how a prevention program on adolescent alcohol use can best target parental behavior, and who will benefit the most from such a program. Dr. Chen will be supported by a highly experienced mentoring team with expertise in genetics, alcohol use, and developmental psychology, as well as rich resources offered at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics in relation to genetic methods and the etiology of youth alcohol use. Specific training objectives include: (1) gaining proficiency in multilevel influences on youth alcohol use; (2) enhancing expertise in advanced family-based genetic designs; (3) integrating genomic data into advanced family-based genetic models; and (4) acquiring professional skills to facilitate the transition into an independent research career. These training objectives will be achieved through meetings with mentors, directed readings, hands-on experiences in methodological skills, and working on specific research projects. Dr. Chen will also complete courses and attend seminars/workshops offered at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics and beyond to further her knowledge in genetics and youth alcohol use. By targeting multilevel factors including parents, peers, neighborhood environments, and broader social contexts, the research proposed in this project has the potential to help inform effective prevention programs that aim to delay drinking onset and prevent alcohol-related harms.