Jump to top menu Jump to main menu Jump to content
erlenmyer-research
Research group/lab  |  PI Dr Charlotte Cecil, Associate professor of Biological Psychopathology, Erasmus Medical Center / PI Dr Esther Walton, Professor in Biological Psychology, University of Bath

Methylation, Imaging and Neurodevelopment (MIND) consortium

The MIND consortium aims to better understand the potential role of DNA methylation in brain development and mental health, by combining epigenetics and neuroimaging research.

About our research group/lab

Our research

Methylation, im aging & neurodevelopment

Background

DNA methylation is an epigenetic process that regulates gene activity in response to both genetic and environmental influences, beginning in utero. While methylation plays a key role in healthy development and function, alterations in this process have been linked to the emergence of disease states, including brain-based disorders such as neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurological conditions. Thus, DNA methylation may represent a potential biomarker of – or mechanism mediating – genetic and environmental influences on the brain. To test this hypothesis, a growing number of researchers are examining associations between DNA methylation and brain features with the use of MRI, giving rise to the new field of Neuroimaging Epigenetics. So far, however, studies in this field have been very heterogeneous in terms of design, characteristics, and methodology, with few shared practices. Furthermore, results have been typically based on single, cross-sectional studies with small sample sizes – which raises issues of statistical power, low reproducibility and unclear direction of effects. The extent to which methylation associates with individual differences in the living brain therefore remains largely unclear.

Aim

The MIND consortium aims to shed light on the relationship between DNA methylation patterns and brain structure and function across development. We specifically want to help advance the new field of Neuroimaging Epigenetics by (i) promoting collaborative science via multi-cohort analyses; (ii) increasing scientific rigor through data harmonization and the establishment of shared practices; and (iii) elucidating directionality of associations between methylation and the brain via the use of prospective, longitudinal studies across development.

Approach

We combine information on DNA methylation with a wide range of neuroimaging phenotypes measured with MRI from cohorts spanning pregnancy to young adulthood. Such integration within a consortium framework offers new opportunities, but also considerable challenges. In MIND, we reflect on potential strategies that could be used to address those, including applying methods to better isolate developmental changes from technical sources of variability, model time-varying DNAm-brain associations, and reduce high-dimensionality. MIND operates on a federated model, wherein methods, practices, and results are shared among consortium members, while maintaining the confidentiality of the underlying individual-level data. MIND is committed to open science practices, including the use of pre-registration of studies, sharing of analysis scripts, and making full results (e.g., meta-analysis summary statistics) openly accessible. Through these activities, the consortium aims to facilitate an integrative and efficient research environment and to enhance the transparency and reproducibility of our research. By triangulating associations across multiple developmental time points and study types, we hope to generate new insights into the dynamic relationships between peripheral DNA methylation and the brain, and how these ultimately relate to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric phenotypes.

Figure 1. Key challenges in Neuroimaging Epigenetics 

Organization and opportunities to join

To date, the MIND consortium comprises a global set of researchers and datasets, including 15 cohorts worldwide from North America, South America, Europe, African and Australia, totaling up to 11,299 participants with DNAm profiles, 10,133 participants with neuroimaging data, and 4,914 participants with both data types for neuroimaging epigenetic analyses. Scientific activities are initiated by researchers and organized by projects. Participating cohorts decide whether to contribute to a MIND project depending on their data, time and interests. Cohorts with genome-wide DNA methylation data (e.g. Illumina 450K or Illumina EPIC chip) and MRI data collected at one or more time points across development (birth to young adulthood) are welcome to join.

Figure 2. World map of sample size per country (overlap DNAm and neuroimaging), as covered by MIND. Sample sizes reflect expected sample sizes after sample processing


Table 1.
List of participating cohorts and key contact persons

Cohort Cohort abbreviation PMID Country Contact person
Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children ALSPAC 22507742 United Kingdom Esther Walton
Brazilian High Risk Cohort BHRC 25469819 Brazil Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
Drakenstein Child Health Study DCHS 317551344 South-Africa Dan Stein
Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study FFCWS 35721627 United States Colter Mitchell
Kids2Health -  childhood Kids2Health Germany Claudia Buss
Kids2Health - infancy Kids2Health Germany Claudia Buss
Michigan Twin Neurogenetic Study MTwiNS 31466551 United-States Luke Hyde
Oregon ADHD-1000 Oregon ADHD-1000

 

32066674 United-States Michael Mooney
The CannTeen Study CannTeen 35772419 United Kingdom Will Lawn, Tom Freeman
The FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study FinnBrain 29025073 Finland Tiina Paunio, Jetro Tuurlari
The Generation R Study GenR 28070760 The Netherlands Charlotte Cecil
The Neuroimaging of the Children's Attention Project NICAP 26969310 Australia Tim Silk
The Peri/Post-natal Epigenetic Twins Study PETS 23171547 Australia Jeffrey Craig
UCIrvine Daily Experiences in Pregnancy Study UCI cohort 28842114 United States Kieran O'Donnel
Understanding Pregnancy Signals and Infant Development UPSIDE 33795306 United States Tom O'Connor

Key Publications

A systematic review of neuroimaging epigenetic research: calling for an increased focus on development. Walton, E., Baltramonaityte, V., Calhoun, V., Heijmans, B. T., Thompson, P. M., & Cecil, C. A. (2023). Molecular psychiatry, 28(7), 2839-2847.

Consortium Profile: The Methylation, Imaging and NeuroDevelopment (MIND) Consortium. Schuurmans, I. K., Mulder, R. H., Baltramonaityte, V., Lahtinen, A., Qiuyu, F., Melo Rothmann, L., ... & Cecil. (2024). medRxiv, 2024-06.

Our team

Principal Investigator

  • Dr Charlotte Cecil, Associate professor of Biological Psychopathology, Erasmus Medical Center
  • Dr Esther Walton, Professor in Biological Psychology, University of Bath

Research team

  • Dr. Isabel Schuurmans, Postdoctoral researcher in psychiatric epidemiology and omics, Erasmus Medical Center
  • Dr. Marlene Staginnus, Postdoctoral researcher in Developmental Psychology, University of Bath
  • Dr. Vilte Baltramonaityte, Postdoctoral researcher in Genetic / Epigenetic Psychology, University of Bath