Active Psychology & Behaviour Mental Health

ANXIOMICS: Finding the mind, brain and immune pathways to anxiety

Funder Wellcome Charity-funded
Associated organisations Alder Hey Children's Hospital Trust · University of Cambridge · University of Liverpool Europe PMC affiliations are not treated as award recipients or mapped locations.
Funding £4.3M
Period Apr 2025 — Apr 2032

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

Anxiety disorders run in families, but no one knows exactly how genes wire the brain and body for anxiety from childhood onwards. This matters because anxiety is the most common mental health condition, yet current treatments work for only about half of those affected. The gap is that we understand almost nothing about the biological chain from genetic risk to anxious behaviour—whether it runs through brain development, cognitive patterns, or immune system function. This project will map that chain across three levels at once: how anxiety-linked genes shape thinking and behaviour in children and adolescents; how those same genes relate to brain structure and function; and how they overlap with infection and immune response. If successful, this research could reveal when and where to intervene—perhaps in childhood, before anxiety takes hold. It might identify immune or brain markers that predict who will develop anxiety, or point to existing drugs that could be repurposed. The project is fundamental science: it aims to explain a causal pathway, not to test a treatment. But understanding that pathway is the necessary first step toward preventing anxiety rather than just managing it.

View original technical description
We do not know why some people experience anxiety disorders, but with twin heritability estimates of 20 – 60%, our genes play a key causal role. However, the mechanisms through which common genetic variants influence the development of anxiety are unknown. We will investigate the extent to which these genetic variants shape development across multiple levels of explanation – brain, mind, and immunity. First, we will test how anxiety related genetic variants impact behavioural and cognitive development in childhood and adolescence. Second, will investigate the overlap between the genetics of anxiety and the genetics of brain structure and function, both in adults and children. Thirdly, using both molecular data and linked electronic health record information on infections, we will interrogate the shared genetics between infection and anxiety, and their combined impact on the development of anxiety. A key component of our proposal is the modular enrichment of C-GULL, a landmark new cohort based in Liverpool. Neuroimaging and deep immunophenotyping in a subset of the cohort will provide pioneering insights into how a genetic likelihood for anxiety shapes early mind, brain and immune development. This proposal represents a collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge and Liverpool, and lived experience experts.

View the original record at the funder ↗

Researchers

Duncan Astle (EPMC Awardee)Edward Bullmore (EPMC Awardee)Mary-Ellen Lynall (EPMC Awardee)Melissa Gladstone (EPMC Awardee)Sarah Rae (EPMC Awardee)Shivaram Avula (EPMC Awardee)Varun Warrier (EPMC Awardee)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

Exploring etiological factors underlying anxiety and its associations with physical health and health-related quality of life.
Investigating a novel approach to gene-environment interaction in depression and anxiety
A multi-site study of the genetics of child anxiety and predictors of treatment response
MICA: The Translational, Computational and Neurocognitive Basis of Anxiety
Deep phenotyping and developmental trajectory of anxiety in neurodevelopmental disorders

Original classification

Mental Health Award: Understanding anxiety and trauma

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.