Danielle M. Dick

Assistant professor of psychiatry, psychology, and human and molecular genetics
Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics

Contact information

Phone: (804) 828-8756
E-mail: ddick@vcu.edu

Education

Ph.D. (2001) Indiana University

Program affiliation

Affiliate of Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Health Psychology

Research interests

My research focuses on how genetic and environmental influences contribute to the development of patterns of substance use (drinking and smoking) and related behaviors, such as antisocial behavior and depression.  We have studied samples of >10,000 twins from early in adolescence until young adulthood, collecting longitudinal data on health behaviors and personality traits at multiple assessments from age 12 to 25.  We are currently studying questions such as:  how important are genetic and environmental influences on various aspects of substance use and related disorders; does the importance of genetic and environmental influences change across development; how do environmental risk factors, such as parental monitoring and home atmosphere, peers, and neighborhood influences, interact with genetic predispositions?  In addition, I am involved in projects aimed at identifying specific genes contributing to these disorders and characterizing the risk associated with those genes (e.g., do they impact multiple related phenotypes, such as both drinking and conduct problems; is the gene more or less important in particular environments; does the influence of the gene change across developmental stages).  Research opportunities involve working on the population-based Finnish Twin studies (described above); the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism and/or the Irish Alcohol Dependence Sample, two projects with the goal of identifying genes involved in alcohol dependence and related disorders.  In addition, I head the genotyping component of the Child Development Project, a sample of ~500 children followed with intensive annual assessments from kindergarten through age 25 (on-going) in which we are studying how identified genes contribute to trajectories of risk across development

Selected publications

Dick, D. M., Pagan, J. L., Holliday, C., Viken, R., Pulkkinen, L., Kaprio, J., & Rose, R. J.  (Dec. 2007). Gender differences in friends’ influences on adolescent drinking: A genetic epidemiological study. Alcoholism:  Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(12), 2012-2019.

Dick, D. M., Aliev, F., Wang, J. C., Grucza, R. A., Schuckit, M., Kuperman, S., Kramer, J., Hinrichs, A., Bertelsen, S., Budde, J. P., Hesselbrock, V., Porjesz, B., Edenberg, H., Bierut, L. J., & Goate, A. (Mar. 2008). Using dimensional models of psychopathology to aid in gene identification. Archives of General Psychiatry, 65(3), 310-318.

Dick, D. M., Pagan, J. L., Viken, R. J., Purcell, S., Kaprio, J., Pulkkinen, L. & Rose, R. J. (2007). Changing environmental influences on substance use across development. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 10, 315-26.

Dick, D. M., Purcell, S., Viken, R., Kaprio, J., Pulkkinen, L., & Rose, R. J. (2007).  Parental monitoring moderates the importance of genetic and environmental influences on adolescent smoking. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116, 213-218.

Dick, D. M., Bierut, L., Hinrichs, A., Fox, L., Bucholz, K. K., Kramer, J., Kuperman, S., Hesselbrock, V., Schuckit, M., Almasy, L., Tischfield, J., Porjesz, B., Begleiter, H., Nurnberger, Jr., J., Xuei, X., Edenberg, H. J., & Foroud, T. (2006). The role of GABRA2 in risk for conduct disorder and alcohol and drug dependence across developmental stages.  Behavior Genetics, 36(4), 577-590.

Recent/current courses taught at VCU

• Introduction to Behavior Genetics, graduate level
• Introduction to Human Genetics, graduate level
• Quantitative Genetics, graduate level
• Mathematical and Statistical Genetics, graduate level
• Addiction Studies, graduate level
• Community Solutions, undergraduate level