New article accepted at Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology!
The article entitled "Delay discounting data in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study: Modeling and analysis considerations" has been accepted for publication at Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology! Sandra Sanchez-Roige is a co-author.
Laura Vilar-Ribó Joins the Lab as a Postdoctoral Researcher!
We are delighted to announce Dr. Laura Vilar-Ribó officially returned to the Sanchez-Roige lab as a postdoctoral researcher in March 2024!
Dr. Vilar-Ribó’s work focuses on unraveling the underlying genetic mechanisms that contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders and complex traits, particularly Substance Use Disorders (SUD), Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) and impulsivity.
Welcome (back) to the team, Laura!
New article accepted at Nature Human Behavior!
The article entitled "Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of tobacco use disorder identifies 461 potential risk genes and reveals associations with multiple health outcomes" has been accepted for publication at Nature Human Behavior! Mariela Jennings, Benjamin Pham, Sevim Bianchi, John Meredith, Laura Vilar-Ribó, Michael Ehinmowo, Shreya Pakala, and Brittany Leger are co-authors and Sandra Sanchez-Roige is the lead investigator. Read the article here.
Sandra receives the SOBP A.E. Bennett Basic Research Award!
In recognition of her outstanding achievements in the field, Dr. Sandra Sanchez-Roige was selected for the 2024 A.E. Bennett Basic Research Award presented by the Society of Biological Psychiatry.
Congratulations and well deserved, Sandra!
Three new students join the lab!
The Sanchez-Roige lab is excited to announce three undergraduate students have joined the lab: Anirudh Chandrasekaran, Daniel Zoleikhaeian, and Ritviksiddha Penchala!
Anirudh Chandrasekaran (pictured) is currently pursuing a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology, with minors in Psychology and Human Developmental Science, and is hoping to go to medical school.
Sevim Bianchi, Student Employee of the Year!
Sevim Bianchi, a Sanchez-Roige lab alumni, was selected as one of twelve Triton Student Employees of the Year in 2023.
Her story was recently featured by UC San Diego Today, which you can read here.
Dr. Natasia Courchesne-Krak is promoted to Assistant Professor!
The Sanchez-Roige lab’s very own Natasia Courchesne-Krak was promoted from postdoc to Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego!
Her work will focus on investigating sex-stratified genetic contributions to substance use disorders and other externalizing behaviors across the lifespan. She officially took up the position December 1, 2023.
Congratulations Dr. Vilar-Ribó!
The Sanchez-Roige lab is delighted to congratulate the newly minted Dr. Laura Vilar-Ribó on her beyond successful thesis defense!
Dr. Vilar-Ribó completed her PhD November 20th at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. She plans to join the Sanchez-Roige lab in 2024 as a postdoctoral fellow.
Congratulations, Laura! We are so excited for you to join the team!
Yajaira Ramos defends master’s thesis!
Congratulations to our graduate research assistant, Yajaira Ramos, on passing her master’s thesis defense investigating the risk factors associated with the development of postoperative problematic opioid use in adult orthopedic patients!
Sanchez-Roige Lab Secures Funding to Advance Genetic Research on Smoking Behaviors
Dr. Sanchez-Roige received a three-year Research Award entitled "Genome-wide association and fine-mapping of smoking using tandem repeats and structural variants". Former postdoctoral fellow Dr. Natasia Courchesne-Krak received an award entitled "Uncovering Genetic, Clinical, Behavioral, and Environmental Determinants of Maternal Smoking and Morbidity”with Dr. Sanchez-Roige as Co-I.Laura Vilar-Ribo received a Postdoctoral Award for Exploring the contribution of rare variants in smoking behaviors. Congratulations everyone!
New article accepted at JAMA Network Psychiatry
The article entitled "Automating the Addiction Behaviors Checklist for Problematic Opioid Use Identification" has been accepted for publication at JAMA Network in Psychiatry! Sandra Sanchez-Roige is a co-author.
The Sanchez-Roige Lab participates in the Stand Up for Science walk!
On March 7, members of the Sanchez-Roige lab participated in the Stand up for Science nationwide event on the UC San Diego campus.
Sandra Sanchez-Roige attends the PsycheMERGE in-person meeting!
The meeting took place in New York City from May 28 to May 30, 2025. Members of the PsycheMERGE network from all over the country traveled to New York City to attend.
Laura Vilar-Ribo and Jean Gonzalez present at the 19th annual Lewis L Judd Young Investigator Symposium at UCSD!
Laura Vilar-Ribo presented her recent work on alcohol in a talk entitled ‘Sex-Specific Genetic Architecture and Comorbidities of Alcohol Use Behaviors’ while Jean Gonzalez described his work related to opioid use disorder in a talk entitled ‘Subjective Response to Opioids Predicts Risk for Opioid Use Disorder’. Congratulations to both!
New article accepted at Psychological Medicine!
The article entitled “Multi-ancestral genome-wide association study of clinically defined nicotine dependence reveals strong genetic correlations with other substance use disorders and health-related traits" has been accepted for publication at Psychological Medicine! Sandra Sanchez-Roige is a co-author.
New article accepted at American Journal of Psychiatry!
The article entitled “The pleiotropic architecture of human impulsivity across biological scales" has been accepted for publication at American Journal of Psychiatry! Sandra Sanchez-Roige and Mariela Jennings are co-authors.
New article accepted at Frontiers in Psychiatry!
The article entitled “Genomic structural equation study reveals links between anorexia nervosa and delay discounting and perseverance but not other facets of impulsivity" has been accepted for publication at Frontiers in Psychiatry! Sandra Sanchez-Roige, Laura Vilar-Ribo and Sevim Bianchi are co-authors.