Applying causal analysis methods to determine whether intra-uterine exposures increase risk of developing psychotic outcomes

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder and a number of lines of evidence support the view that exposure to adverse conditions in-utero is associated with increased risk of schizophrenia in adulthood. For example, maternal smoking, alcohol use, infection and diabetes during pregnancy have all been associated with increased risk of schizophrenia in the offspring, and also with more common outcomes such as presence of psychotic experiences in general population samples. However it is difficult to know whether these associations are causal or due to confounding (for example by social class, maternal mental health problems, etc.).

This project will involve the application of more novel epidemiologic approaches to casual analysis using data from multiple cohort samples. For example, a relatively novel approach to differentiate between causal effects and confounding is to use genetic variants that are associated with the in-utero exposures as instrumental variables to determine their association with the outcome in the offspring. This is called Mendelian Randomisation, and has been used successfully to determine causal effects in other fields of medicine. Other examples include the use of negative control approaches, such as comparing maternal and paternal exposures, and sibling control designs to assess whether associations between maternal exposures during pregnancy and offspring psychopathology are likely to be causal or not.

During this project the doctoral student will have the opportunity to learn about and develop expertise in causal analysis methodology, and apply this to enhancing our understanding of psychiatric epidemiology

Please provide a CV and a covering letter