Jonathan Sebat PhD

Dr. Sebat is a leader in the field of psychiatric genetics and an expert in the genomic analysis of disease by Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). His research has made substantial contributions to our current knowledge of the contribution of rare and de novo genetic variants to the risk for psychiatric disorders. His early research on patterns of structural genetic variation (SV) in the human genome led to the initial discovery of the widespread abundance of SV in the human genome. The application of SV detection methods to psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia has served to elucidate the role of rare SVs in these disorders. Recent genome sequencing studies in multiple cohorts including the Simons Simplex Collection have made significant progress in further elucidating the genetic basis of ASD, in particular the contribution of inherited SVs in non-coding regions of the genome.

In addition, he has led multiple, large consortium efforts including as chair of the CNV analysis group for the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, as co-chair of the genotyping working group of the Genes 2 Mental Health Network (G2MH) where his group has led interdisciplinary teams on the analysis of genomic and clinical datasets on large cohorts.