Epigenetic Mechanisms in Brain Physiology and Disorders

Dr. Szyf received his Ph.D. from the Hebrew University and did his postdoctoral fellowship in Genetics at Harvard Medical School, joined the McGill University in 1989 and currently holds a James McGill Professorship and GlaxoSmithKline-CIHR Chair in Pharmacology. He is the founding co-director of the Sackler Institute for Epigenetics and Psychobiology at McGill and is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Experience-based Brain and Biological Development program.  Dr. Szyf has been the founder of the first “Pharma” to develop epigenetic pharmacology “Methylgene Inc.” and the first journal in epigenetics “Epigenetics.”  Szyf lab has proposed two decades ago that DNA methylation is a prime therapeutic target in cancer and other diseases and has postulated and provided the first set of evidence that the “social environment” early in life can alter DNA methylation launching the emerging field of “social epigenetics.” Zsofia Nemoda is an assistant professor at Semmelweis University in Budapest Hungary. She is a member of the Hungarian Biochemical Association, the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics, and the Hungarian Society of Human Genetics. She has 41 articles published in international journals with a cumulative impact factor of 168 and independent citations of 1139. In 2023 & 2024 she was affiliated the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada working with Dr. Linda Booij.

• Section I. Epigenetic mechanisms in the brain1. Introduction to epigenetic mechanisms in the brain2. The role of epigenetic DNA modifications in the brain: focus on cell specification, neuropathology and environmental influences3. The role of histone modification in epigenetic regulation of gene expression and cell specification4. Human Brain Evolution: Role of SVA Retrotransposons and SVA Long Non-coding RNASection 2. The role of epigenetic mechanisms in brain physiology5. Epigenetic influences on affect and emotion regulation: Insights from the oxytocin system6. Epigenetic mechanisms in Stress and the HPA axis7. Central epigenetic mechanisms of overeating and thermal regulation8. Gut Microbiota and Epigenetic Mechanisms in Brain Physiology and DisordersSection 3. Epigenetic mechanisms in neuropsychiatric, neurological and behavioral disorders9. The Impact of Genetic Mutations in Epigenetic Factors on Brain Development and Neurodevelopmental Disorders10. Epigenetics processes involved in schizophrenia and antipsychotic treatment11. Epigenetic processes in depressive and anxiety disorders12. Epigenetic Factors in Eating Disorders: Clinical Correlates and Diagnostic Specificity13. Linking early adversity epigenetics and neuropsychiatric disorders; interaction between environment epigenetics and inherited susceptibility variants14. Epigenetic processes in substance abuse, and behavioral addictions: involvement of dopaminergic pathways15. Epigenetic processes in Parkinson disease16. Epigenetics and epilepsy17. Epigenetic mechanisms in Alzheimer disease18. DNA Methylation in Motor Neuron Biology and Epigeneticopathy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis19. Epigenetic processes in neurodevelopmental disorders20. Epigenetic mechanisms in neuroinflammatory disease of the brain: Multiple sclerosis21. Epigenetic mechanisms involved in post traumatic stress disorder22. Epigenetic mechanisms in brain aging and their role in cognitive decline and mental health disorders23. The epigenetic mechanisms mediating the long-term impacts of environmental toxicants on brain functions and health24. Epigenetic personalized medicine in glioblastomaSection 4. Methods and methodological issues in unraveling the neurobehavioral methylome25. METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN EPIGENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS26. Animal models with construct validity for studying epigenetic processes in neurobehavior27. Single-Cell Approaches for Mapping Cell-Type-Specific Epigenetic Regulation28. Measuring Histone Modifications Across Different Cell Types in the Central Nervous system29. IPSC stem cells derived neuronal precursor cells to model in vitro the role of DNA methylation in the nervous system and brain disorders30. Epigenetic Architecture of the Developing Brain