Grant: Catalyst Grant: NWHRI: Innovation Fund - Biomedical Discovery Grants

Migraine and anxiety disorders are more common in women than in men and commonly occur together. Despite the substantial personal, healthcare, and economic burden resulting from these disorders, research into their causes and treatments has been limited due to a lack of attention and funding. Both migraine and anxiety are strongly influenced by genetic factors, indicating that the risk for developing these disorders depends substantially on a person's biological make-up. Using genetic and health data from ~500,000 participants, we will identify new and shared genetic risk factors and biological pathways for migraine and anxiety. We will also use a statistical method to understand whether migraine may cause anxiety, and/or whether anxiety may cause migraine. All analyses will be conducted separately in women and men to identify any important sex differences. Our project will begin to identify genetic biomarkers and biological mechanisms explaining the greater vulnerability of women to these disorders, which could lead to improved prevention and novel treatment approaches/targets. This work will also provide a set of statistical methods that can be used for the discovery of biological risk factors for other underfunded disorders relevant to women's health.