Vanessa Gonçalves

Vanessa Gonçalves received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Immunology from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil. She then moved to Toronto and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Molecular Brain Science Department, at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH; U of Toronto) where she is now Project Scientist. 
Dr. Gonçalves has multidisciplinary background in genetics, molecular biology, statistics and epidemiology. Her research interests lie in advancing research on the role of mitochondrial gene variants in the risk for, and phenomenology of, neuropsychiatric disorders. Her research portfolio also includes pharmacogenetic studies focusing on the mitochondrial system. Her findings are very translatable into important medical improvements, such as new biomarkers, reduced side effects/ medication failure, enhanced diagnostics, and better therapies for psychiatric patients.  

Research Synopsis

Genetics, Neurogenetics, Psychiatric genetics, Genetic epidemiology, Pharmacogenetics, Statistical methods, Population genetics, Bioinformatics, Evolution.

Recent Publications

Hagen CM, Gonçalves VF, Hedley PL, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Bækvad-Hansen M, Hansen CS, Kanters JK, Nielsen J, Mors O, Demur AB, Als T, Nordentoft M, Børglum A, Mortensen PB, Kennedy JL, Werge TM, Hougaard DM, Christiansen M. Mitochondrial DNA SNPs associated with Schizophrenia exhibit Highly Variable Inter-allelic Haplogroup Affiliation and Nuclear Genogeographic Affinity: Bi-Genomic Linkage Disequilibrium raises Major Concerns for Link to Disease. PLoS ONE 13(12): e0208828.

Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Hagen CM, Gonçalves VF, Bækvad-Hansen M, Hansen CS, Hedley PL, Kanters JK, Nielsen J, Theisen M, Mors O, Kennedy JL, Demur AB, Werge TM, Nordentoft M, Børglum A, Mortensen PB, Hougaard DM, Christiansen M. Complex Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Genogeographic Affinity of Mitochondrial DNA Haplogroups in 24,216 Danes. PLoS ONE 13(12): e0208829.

Gonçalves VF, Schulmann A, Ryu E, Rollins B, Christiansen M, Frye MA, Biernacka J, Vawter MP. Novel complex interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear DNA in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder.  Mol Neuropsychiatry. In Press.

Gonçalves VF, Cuperfain AB, Kennedy JL. Sex differences in schizophrenia: estrogen and mitochondria. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018.

Lisoway AJ, Zai G, Tiwari AK, Zai CC, Wigg K, Gonçalves V, Zhang D, Freeman N, Müller DJ, Kennedy JL, Richter MA. Pharmacogenetic evaluation of a DISP1 gene variant in antidepressant treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Human Psychopharmacology. 2018 33(4):e2659.

Cuperfain AB, Zhang ZL, Kennedy JL, Gonçalves VF. The Complex Interaction of Mitochondrial Genetics and Mitochondrial Pathways in Psychiatric Disease. Molecular Neuropsychiatry. 2018 4(1):52-69.

Gonçalves VF, Cappi C, Hagen CM, Sequeira A, Vawter MP, Derkach A, Zai CC, Hedley PL, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Pouget JG, Cuperfain AB, Sullivan PF, Christiansen M, Kennedy JL, Sun L. A Comprehensive Analysis of Nuclear-Encoded Mitochondrial Genes in Schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry. 2018 83(9):780-789.

Gonçalves VF, Giamberardino SN, Crowley JJ, Vawter MP, Saxena R, Bulik CM, Yilmaz Z, Hultman CM, Sklar P, Kennedy JL, Sullivan PF, Knight J. Examining the role of common and rare mitochondrial variants in schizophrenia. PloS One. 2018 13(1):e0191153.

Gonçalves VF, Mittal K, Harripaul R, Cuperfain AB, Rollins B, Tiwari AK, Zai CC, Maciukiewicz M, Müller DJ, Vawter MP, Kennedy JL. A comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial genes variants and their association with antipsychotic-induced weight gain. Schizophrenia Research. 2017 187:67-73.

Appointments

Honours and Awards

7: (2014) University of Toronto McLaughlin Centre Training Award – CAN $800 
6: (2014) World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics Travel Award; Congress organizers – US $1,500 
5: (2013) Robin Hunter Award; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)  – CAN $3,000 
4: (2010) Invited Scholar to attend to the TWAS/Biovision Alexandria. Topic of the forum: "Publishing Scientific papers in the Developing World". Organized by Nobel Laureates. Alexandria Library, Alexandria, Egypt, 9-16 April.
3: (2009) Young Geneticist Award (Honorable Mention) – Brazilian Society of Genetics
2: (2008) Award for the Best PhD thesis of UFMG in the field of Natural Sciences (Federal University of Minas Gerais) – US$3,000
1: (2008) Award for Best PhD Thesis in the Department of Biochemistry and Immunology. UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais)

Grants

2019-2021: 2018 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant, (PI: Vanessa F Gonçalves). International analysis of mitochondrial variants in schizophrenia risk and clinical subtypes.

2017-2018: 2017 McLaughlin Centre Accelerator Grant, (co-I, PI: Neal Sondheimer). Mitochondrial variation, nuclear coordination and the risk for psychiatric illness.

2017-2018: 2017 McLaughlin Centre Accelerator Grant. (co-PI, PI: Ana Andreazza). The Canadian Mitochondrial Network.

2016 – 2018: – NARSAD Independent Investigator Award, (collaborator; PI: A. Andreazza). Similarities and differences between mitochondrial disease and bipolar disorder. From genetics, to transcription to mitochondrial function.

2015-2020: - Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): Development, validation and benefits of a genetic risk model for antipsychotic-induced weight gain, (co-I; PI: D. J. Mueller).

2014 – 2015: – NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Award, (co-PI; PI: J. Kennedy). Accessing mitochondrial genes to predict major psychosis: the role of evolutionary pathways.

2014 – 2015: – AFP Innovation Fund, (co-PI; PI: J. Kennedy).Examining the role of mitochondria in major psychoses.