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Marie E Gaine, PhD

Assistant Professor

Introduction

The Gaine Lab is dedicated to understanding the role of genetics and epigenetics in the development and treatment of psychiatric disorders, and how environmental factors can influence this. Projects primarily focus on DNA methylation and methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) as well as novel biomarkers such as extracellular vesicles and cell-free DNA, which hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics and precision medicine approaches.

Our research prioritizes high-risk populations, including pregnant women and individuals with bipolar disorder, to better understand the unique epigenetic changes associated with these groups. By integrating cutting-edge sequencing techniques and interdisciplinary approaches using human samples and mouse models, we strive to advance knowledge and develop tools that can improve outcomes for individuals affected by these psychiatric disorders.

Current Positions

  • Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics
  • Secondary Faculty, Psychiatry

Education

  • B.Sc. (Hons.) in Forensic Science and Biological Anthropology in Forensic Science and Biological Anthropology, John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
  • Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology in Molecular Biology, Queen’s University, Belfast, United Kingdom

Graduate Program Affiliations

Center, Program and Institute Affiliations

Selected Awards & Honors

  • Williams-Cannon Fellow
  • Supervisor of the Year Certificate of Distinction, University of Iowa
  • Career Enhancement Award, Enviromental Health Sciences Research Center at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
  • NARSAD Young Investigator Award, NARSAD
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellowship award, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
  • Researcher of the Year: Northern Ireland Division, Northern Ireland Division, Roche

Professional Memberships

  • International Academy of Suicide Research
  • Society of Toxicology
  • Enviromental Health Science Research Center at the University of Iowa
  • Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP)
  • Iowa Neuroscience Institute

Selected Publications

  • Argue MB, Casten LG, Richards JG, McCool S, Alrfooh A, Gringer Richards J, Wemmie JA, Magnotta VA, Williams AJ, Michaelson JJ, Fiedorowicz JG, Scroggins S, Gaine ME (2025). Immune Dysregulation in Bipolar Disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders. PMID: 39818340
  • Alrfooh A, Casten LG, Gringer Richards J, Wemmie JA, Magnotta VA, Fiedorowicz JG, Michaelson JJ, Williams AJ, Gaine ME (2024). Investigating the relationship between DNA methylation, genetic variation, and suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder. MedRxiv. PMCID: PMC11023653
  • Benjamin-Zukerman T*, Shimon G*, Gaine ME*, Dakwar A, Peled N, Aboraya M, Masri-Ismail A, Safadi-Safa R, Solomon M, Lev-Ram V, Rissman RA, Mayrhofer JE, Raffeiner A, Mol M, Argue BMR, McCool S, Doan B, van Swieten J, Stefan E, Abel T#, and Ilouz R# *Joint First Authors, #Joint Last Authors. (2024). Mutation in protein kinase A R1 beta (PRKARIB) drives pathological mechanisms of neurodegeneration across species. Brain. PMCID: PMC11531844
  • Glebov-McCloud AGP, Saide WS, Gaine ME, Strack S (2024). Protein Kinase A in neurological disorders. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. PMCID: PMC10936040.
  • Khan KM, Gaine ME, Daniel AD, Chilamkuri P, Rohlman DS (2024). Organophosphorus pesticide exposure from house dust and parent-reported child behavior in Latino children from an orchard community. Neurotoxicology. PMCID: PMC11684323.
  • Kim J, Vanrobaeys Y, Peterson Z, Kelvington B, Gaine ME, Nickl-Jockschat T, Abel T (2024). Dissecting 16p11.2 hemi-deletion to study sex-specific striatal phenotypes of neurodevelopmental disorders. Molecular Psychiatry. PMCID: PMC9949238.
  • Mirza S, Lima CdC, Del Favero-Campbell A, Rubinstein A, Topolski N, Cabrera-Mendoza B, Kovács EHC, Blumberg HP, Gringer Richards J, Williams AJ, Wemmie JA, Magnotta VA, Fiedorowicz JG, Gaine ME, Walss-Bass C, Quevedo J, Soares JC, Fries GR (2024). Blood epigenome-wide association studies of suicide attempt in adults with bipolar disorder. Translational Psychiatry. PMCID: PMC10831084.
  • Hayes C, Halverson H, Keeran K, Tison K, Jacobo K, Karki A, Herring I, Tunuguntla S, Pace M, Doan B, Wen H, Klomp A, Lauffer M, Gaine ME, Parker K*, Williams AJ* *co-senior authors (2023). 16p11.2 microduplication is associated with lobule-specific abnormalities in cerebellar structure and function. bioRxiv.
  • Harmata GIS, Barsotti EJ, Casten LG, Fiedorowicz JG, Williams A, Shaffer JJ, Gringer Richards J, Sathyaputri L, Schmitz SL, Christensen GE, Long JD, Gaine ME, Xu J, Michaelson JJ, Wemmie JA, Magnotta VA (2023). Cerebellar Morphological Differences in Bipolar Disorder Type I. Journal of Affective Disorders. PMCID: PMC10529949.
  • Lima, C. N., Kovács, E. H., Mirza, S., Del Favero-Campbell, A., Diaz, A. P., Quevedo, J., Argue, B. M., Richards, J. G., Williams, A., Wemmie, J. A., Magnotta, V. A., Fiedorowicz, J. G., Soares, J. C., Gaine, M. E. & Fries, G. R. (2023). Association between the epigenetic lifespan predictor GrimAge and history of suicide attempt in bipolar disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 48 954–962. DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01557-9.