Old Obstacles on New Horizons: The Challenge of Implementing Gene X Environment Discoveries in Schizophrenia Research

Abstract

Genetics and Social Sciences are divergent disciplines for whom it is customary to compete to explain the greater part of Schizophrenia risk 1. These days, a convincing case can be made for the prospective public health value of either discipline 2,3. However the practical implementation of such knowledge continues to prove challenging for either field alone: From a genetic perspective, progress was traditionally hindered by the inconsistent nature of discoveries made in the pre-GWAS (Genome-wide Association Study) era. It is now held back by the fact that the heritability attributed to this disorder remains largely impermeable to GWAS and other genomic approaches.