King’s College London researcher advances psychiatric genomics through pioneering polygenic scoring innovations

(Press-News.org) LONDON, England, UNITED KINGDOM, 9 September 2025 -- In a compelling Genomic Press Interview published today in Genomic Psychiatry, Dr Oliver Pain reveals how personal experiences and scientific curiosity converged to reshape global approaches to psychiatric genomics. The Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Research Fellow transforms how scientists worldwide understand and apply genetic risk prediction for mental health disorders, developing tools that democratize access to cutting-edge genomic methodologies across international research communities.

The interview illuminates Dr Pain's evolution from molecular genetics student to architect of GenoPred, a revolutionary open-source platform that empowers researchers globally to implement sophisticated polygenic scoring techniques. His journey underscores how individual scientific contributions can catalyse worldwide advances in personalized medicine, particularly for populations historically underrepresented in genomic research.

Breaking Barriers in Global Psychiatric Genomics

Dr Pain's research addresses one of medicine's most pressing challenges: translating vast genomic datasets into clinically actionable insights that benefit patients universally. Through collaborations with international consortia, he served as lead analyst for an international Antidepressant Response Working Group, conducting a genome-wide analysis of antidepressant response, and thereby contributing to better understand depression, a condition that affects over 280 million people globally.

The GenoPred platform exemplifies how scientific innovation can democratize access to advanced genomic tools. By creating comprehensive pipelines that implement leading polygenic scoring methodologies, Dr Pain ensures that researchers in any setting can apply best-practice approaches to genetic risk prediction. This accessibility proves particularly crucial for advancing genomic medicine in regions where technical resources might otherwise limit participation in cutting-edge research.

From Personal Experience to Universal Impact

The interview reveals how a major family bereavement during Dr Pain's undergraduate years sparked his dedication to understanding mental health through genetics. This personal catalyst transformed into professional purpose, driving innovations that now influence psychiatric genomics research across continents. His strategic year at UCB Pharma, initially viewed as risky departure from academia, ultimately strengthened his ability to translate academic discoveries into therapeutic developments with real-world applications.

Dr Pain emphasizes the critical importance of developing polygenic scoring methods that perform accurately across all ancestry groups. Current models often underperform for non-European populations due to historical research disparities. His commitment to creating more inclusive methodologies ensures that genomic advances reduce rather than reinforce global health inequities. This focus on equitable genomic medicine positions his work at the forefront of efforts to ensure precision psychiatry benefits all communities equally.

Revolutionizing Treatment Through Integrated Genomics

The integration of functional and statistical genomics forms the cornerstone of Dr Pain's approach to advancing psychiatric medicine. Through transcriptome-wide association studies and sophisticated analytical pipelines, he illuminates biological mechanisms underlying conditions ranging from autism to motor neuron disease. These insights provide crucial pathways toward developing targeted interventions that could transform treatment paradigms internationally.

His work on antidepressant response genetics holds particular promise for addressing the trial-and-error approach that currently characterizes psychiatric prescribing. Dr Pain says, “a central aim is to illuminate underlying biology, helping to prioritise targets and inform the development of better antidepressants. This work could, in time, support more informed prescribing decisions, pending further clinical evaluation.”

Championing Open Science for Global Progress

Dr Pain advocates strongly for open science principles, sharing data, tools, and methods freely to accelerate discovery across the international research community. His GenoPred platform serves as a model for how sophisticated analytical tools can be made accessible without geographic or institutional barriers. This commitment to openness reflects his belief that scientific progress accelerates when knowledge flows freely across borders and between research groups.

The interview highlights how collaborative approaches amplify individual contributions. Dr Pain's work with statisticians, biologists, clinicians, and industry partners demonstrates how diverse expertise converges to solve complex challenges in psychiatric genomics. These collaborations span continents, creating networks that advance understanding of mental health conditions affecting populations worldwide. Questions arise about how emerging technologies might further enhance these collaborative frameworks and whether artificial intelligence could accelerate the translation of genomic discoveries into clinical applications.

Shaping Future Directions in Precision Psychiatry

Looking forward, Dr Pain envisions genetics becoming a routine component of psychiatric care, similar to how it currently informs treatment decisions in oncology. His research lays groundwork for a future where polygenic scores help identify high-risk individuals before symptom onset, enabling preventive interventions that could reduce the global burden of mental illness. The development of methods to convert polygenic scores to absolute risk scales makes these tools safer for clinical interpretation, addressing a crucial barrier to implementation.

The interview reveals ongoing projects that could reshape understanding of psychiatric conditions. He is currently working with functional genomic annotations and will soon also be working with methylation data. These multidimensional approaches may reveal therapeutic targets previously hidden within the intricate interplay between genes, environment, and behaviour. How might these discoveries influence pharmaceutical development priorities, and what role will patient advocacy groups play in shaping research agendas?

Dr Oliver Pain's Genomic Press interview is part of a larger series called Innovators & Ideas that highlights the people behind today's most influential scientific breakthroughs. Each interview in the series offers a blend of cutting-edge research and personal reflections, providing readers with a comprehensive view of the scientists shaping the future. By combining a focus on professional achievements with personal insights, this interview style invites a richer narrative that both engages and educates readers. This format provides an ideal starting point for profiles that explore the scientist's impact on the field, while also touching on broader human themes. More information on the research leaders and rising stars featured in our Innovators & Ideas – Genomic Press Interview series can be found on our publications website: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/.

The Genomic Press Interview in Genomic Psychiatry titled "Oliver Pain: Bringing together functional and statistical genomics to enhance personalised medicine for neuropsychiatric disorders," is freely available via Open Access on 9 September 2025 in Genomic Psychiatry at the following hyperlink: https://doi.org/10.61373/gp025k.0083.

About Genomic Psychiatry: Genomic Psychiatry: Advancing Science from Genes to Society (ISSN: 2997-2388, online and 2997-254X, print) represents a paradigm shift in genetics journals by interweaving advances in genomics and genetics with progress in all other areas of contemporary psychiatry. Genomic Psychiatry publishes peer-reviewed medical research articles of the highest quality from any area within the continuum that goes from genes and molecules to neuroscience, clinical psychiatry, and public health.

Visit the Genomic Press Virtual Library: https://issues.genomicpress.com/bookcase/gtvov/

Our full website is at: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/

END