Jonelle Marie Dickow Villar

I have the privilege of working in the Epigenetics group with Stéphanie Le Hellard. Our focus is to identify differential DNA methylation patterns associated with environmental factors such as antipsychotic medication, cannabis and childhood trauma.  In my PhD project, I am looking at the specific and common effects of antipsychotic drugs on methylation patterns in patients with psychosis, specifically with diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.  

Our group collaborates with Vidar Steen and Dr. Einar Martens Research Group for Biological Psychiatry. Our efforts contribute to the overall mission of SFF Norment (Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research) to understand the underlying mechanisms of severe mental disorders and seeks to understand why some people are afflicted.