Rebecca earned a BSc in Genetics from the University of Leeds in 2005. She began working at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre (SGDP), King’s College London as a research assistant in 2007 working under Prof Ian Craig, Dr Katherine Aitchison and Prof Peter McGuffin on the GENDEP project. In 2009 she started a PhD at the SGDP in psychiatric genetics with Prof Jonathan Mill and Prof Ian Craig working on her thesis investigating behavioural and molecular changes associated with advanced paternal age. After her PhD, she then started a post-doctoral research position at the SGDP with Prof Mill investigating epigenetic changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease and is currently investigating epigenetic changed associated with conduct disorder in a subset of the ALSPAC sample.
Molecular Biology/Laboratory Techniques
Animal Behaviour
Statistical Analysis and Bioinformatics
Smith, R. G. , C. Fernandes, R. Kember, L. C. Schalkwyk, J. Buxbaum, A. Reichenberg and J. Mill (2014). "Transcriptomic changes in the frontal cortex associated with paternal age." Mol Autism 5(1): 24.
Lunnon, K., R. Smith, E. Hannon, P. L. De Jager, G. Srivastava, M. Volta, C. Troakes, S. Al-Sarraj, J. Burrage, R. Macdonald, D. Condliffe, L. W. Harries, P. Katsel, V. Haroutunian, Z. Kaminsky, C. Joachim, J. Powell, S. Lovestone, D. A. Bennett, L. C. Schalkwyk and J. Mill (2014). "Methylomic profiling implicates cortical deregulation of ANK1 in Alzheimer's disease." Nat Neurosci 17(9): 1164-1170.
Hodgson, K., K. Tansey, M. Z. Dernovsek, J. Hauser, N. Henigsberg, W. Maier, O. Mors, A. Placentino, M. Rietschel, D. Souery, R. Smith, I. W. Craig, A. E. Farmer, K. J. Aitchison, S. Belsy, O. S. Davis, R. Uher and P. McGuffin (2014). "Genetic differences in cytochrome P450 enzymes and antidepressant treatment response." J Psychopharmacol 28(2): 133-141.
Cecil, C. A., L. J. Lysenko, S. R. Jaffee, J. B. Pingault, R. G. Smith, C. L. Relton, G. Woodward, W. McArdle, J. Mill and E. D. Barker (2014). "Environmental risk, Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) methylation and youth callous-unemotional traits: a 13-year longitudinal study." Mol Psychiatry.
Smith, R. G. , A. Reichenberg, R. L. Kember, J. D. Buxbaum, L. C. Schalkwyk, C. Fernandes and J. Mill (2013). "Advanced paternal age is associated with altered DNA methylation at brain-expressed imprinted loci in inbred mice: implications for neuropsychiatric disease." Mol Psychiatry 18(6): 635-636.
Powell, T. R., R. G. Smith, S. Hackinger, L. C. Schalkwyk, R. Uher, P. McGuffin, J. Mill and K. E. Tansey (2013). "DNA methylation in interleukin-11 predicts clinical response to antidepressants in GENDEP." Transl Psychiatry 3: e300.
Pidsley, R., C. Fernandes, J. Viana, J. L. Paya-Cano, L. Liu, R. G. Smith, L. C. Schalkwyk and J. Mill (2012). "DNA methylation at the Igf2/H19 imprinting control region is associated with cerebellum mass in outbred mice." Mol Brain 5: 42.
Huezo-Diaz, P., N. Perroud, E. P. Spencer, R. Smith, S. Sim, S. Virding, R. Uher, C. Gunasinghe, J. Gray, D. Campbell, J. Hauser, W. Maier, A. Marusic, M. Rietschel, J. Perez, C. Giovannini, O. Mors, J. Mendlewicz, P. McGuffin, A. E. Farmer, M. Ingelman-Sundberg, I. W. Craig and K. J. Aitchison (2012). "CYP2C19 genotype predicts steady state escitalopram concentration in GENDEP." J Psychopharmacol 26(3): 398-407.
Smith, R. and J. Mill (2011). Epigenetics and Chronic Diseases: An Overview. Epigenetic Aspects of Chronic Disease, Springer. 1.
Keers, R., R. Uher, P. Huezo-Diaz, R. Smith, S. Jaffee, M. Rietschel, N. Henigsberg, D. Kozel, O. Mors, W. Maier, A. Zobel, J. Hauser, D. Souery, A. Placentino, E. R. Larsen, M. Dmitrzak-Weglarz, B. Gupta, F. Hoda, I. Craig, P. McGuffin, A. E. Farmer and K. J. Aitchison (2011). "Interaction between serotonin transporter gene variants and life events predicts response to antidepressants in the GENDEP project." Pharmacogenomics J 11(2): 138-145.
Schalkwyk, L. C., E. L. Meaburn, R. Smith, E. L. Dempster, A. R. Jeffries, M. N. Davies, R. Plomin and J. Mill (2010). "Allelic skewing of DNA methylation is widespread across the genome." Am J Hum Genet 86(2): 196-212.
Drago, A., A. Serretti, R. Smith, P. Huezo-Diaz, P. Malitas, D. Albani, D. D. Ronchi, C.-U. Pae and K. J. Aitchison (2010). "No association between genetic markers in BDNF gene and lithium prophylaxis in a Greek sample." International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice 14(2): 154-157.
Uher, R., P. Huezo-Diaz, N. Perroud, R. Smith, M. Rietschel, O. Mors, J. Hauser, W. Maier, D. Kozel, N. Henigsberg, M. Barreto, A. Placentino, M. Z. Dernovsek, T. G. Schulze, P. Kalember, A. Zobel, P. M. Czerski, E. R. Larsen, D. Souery, C. Giovannini, J. M. Gray, C. M. Lewis, A. Farmer, K. J. Aitchison, P. McGuffin and I. Craig (2009). "Genetic predictors of response to antidepressants in the GENDEP project." Pharmacogenomics J 9(4): 225-233.
Smith, R. G. , R. L. Kember, J. Mill, C. Fernandes, L. C. Schalkwyk, J. D. Buxbaum and A. Reichenberg (2009). "Advancing paternal age is associated with deficits in social and exploratory behaviors in the offspring: a mouse model." PLoS One 4(12): e8456.
Perroud, N., K. J. Aitchison, R. Uher, R. Smith, P. Huezo-Diaz, A. Marusic, W. Maier, O. Mors, A. Placentino, N. Henigsberg, M. Rietschel, J. Hauser, D. Souery, P. Kapelski, C. Bonvicini, A. Zobel, L. Jorgensen, A. Petrovic, P. Kalember, T. G. Schulze, B. Gupta, J. Gray, C. M. Lewis, A. E. Farmer, P. McGuffin and I. Craig (2009). "Genetic predictors of increase in suicidal ideation during antidepressant treatment in the GENDEP project." Neuropsychopharmacology 34(12): 2517-2528.
Huezo-Diaz, P., R. Uher, R. Smith, M. Rietschel, N. Henigsberg, A. Marusic, O. Mors, W. Maier, J. Hauser, D. Souery, A. Placentino, A. Zobel, E. R. Larsen, P. M. Czerski, B. Gupta, F. Hoda, N. Perroud, A. Farmer, I. Craig, K. J. Aitchison and P. McGuffin (2009). "Moderation of antidepressant response by the serotonin transporter gene." Br J Psychiatry 195(1): 30-38.