EMAIL vw260@cam.ac.uk

College St Catharine's College

Department

Psychiatry

School

Clinical Medicine

Biological Sciences

Institute

Autism Research Centre

Research Theme Lifelong Brain Development and Brain Ageing The Social Brain Neurons, Circuits and Networks

Research Focus

Keywords

Genetics

Genomics

Neurodevelopment

Clinical Conditions

Autism

Schizophrenia

Equipment & Techniques

Statistical analysis

Science Culture

Open Access

Open-Source Science

Reproducibility in Science

Policy Engagement

Widening Participation

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Dr Varun Warrier

University Position

Assistant Professor

Interests

I am an Assistant Professor of Neurodevelopmental Research at the Depts. of Psychiatry and Psychology. My team works on social and genetic factors that influence neurodevelopment, and mental health. We integrate large-scale genetic, neuroimaging, EHR and questionnaire data to understand heterogeneity among mental health conditions, and the links between mental health and brain structure and function. We focus on conditions that emerge during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. For more details of our research, please see: www.neurodevelopmentalresearch.group For a full list of publications, please see: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=_f3ym2cAAAAJ&hl=en

Collaborators

Cambridge

External

Associated News Items

Largest genetic study of brain structure identifies how the brain is organised
Sep 21, 2023
The largest ever study of the genetics of the brain – encompassing some 36,000 brain…

Key Publications

Genetic insights into human cortical organization and development through genome-wide analyses of 2,347 neuroimaging phenotypes.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-023-01475-y
Journal: NATURE GENETICS
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2023
Authors: V Warrier, E-M Stauffer, QQ Huang, EM Wigdor, EAW Slob, J Seidlitz, L Ronan, SL Valk, TT Mallard, AD Grotzinger, R Romero-Garcia, S Baron-Cohen, DH Geschwind, MA Lancaster, GK Murray, MJ Gandal, A Alexander-Bloch, H Won, HC Martin, ET Bullmore, RAI Bethlehem

Genetic correlates of phenotypic heterogeneity in autism.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01072-5
Journal: Nat Genet
E-pub date: 1 Sep 2022
Authors: V Warrier, X Zhang, P Reed, A Havdahl, TM Moore, F Cliquet, CS Leblond, T Rolland, A Rosengren, EU-AIMS LEAP, iPSYCH-Autism Working Group, Spectrum 10K and APEX Consortia, DH Rowitch, ME Hurles, DH Geschwind, AD Børglum, EB Robinson, J Grove, HC Martin, T Bourgeron, S Baron-Cohen

Brain charts for the human lifespan

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.08.447489
Journal:
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2021
Authors: RAI Bethlehem, J Seidlitz, SR White, JW Vogel, KM Anderson, C Adamson, S Adler, GS Alexopoulos, E Anagnostou, A Areces-Gonzalez, DE Astle, B Auyeung, M Ayub, G Ball, S Baron-Cohen, R Beare, SA Bedford, V Benegal, F Beyer, J Bin Bae, J Blangero, M Blesa Cábez, JP Boardman, M Borzage, JF Bosch-Bayard, N Bourke, VD Calhoun, MM Chakravarty, C Chen, C Chertavian, G Chetelat, YS Chong, JH Cole, A Corvin, M Costantino, E Courchesne, F Crivello, VL Cropley, J Crosbie, N Crossley, M Delarue, R Delorme, S Desrivieres, G Devenyi, MA Di Biase, R Dolan, KA Donald, G Donohoe, K Dunlop, AD Edwards, JT Elison, CT Ellis, JA Elman, L Eyler, DA Fair, E Feczko, PC Fletcher, P Fonagy, CE Franz, L Galan-Garcia, A Gholipour, J Giedd, JH Gilmore, DC Glahn, I Goodyer, PE Grant, NA Groenewold, FM Gunning, RE Gur, RC Gur, CF Hammill, O Hansson, T Hedden, A Heinz, RN Henson, K Heuer, J Hoare, B Holla, AJ Holmes, R Holt, H Huang, K Im, J Ipser, CR Jack, AP Jackowski, T Jia, KA Johnson, PB Jones, DT Jones, R Kahn, H Karlsson, L Karlsson, R Kawashima, EA Kelley, S Kern, K Kim, MG Kitzbichler, WS Kremen, F Lalonde, B Landeau, S Lee, J Lerch, JD Lewis, J Li, W Liao, C Liston, MV Lombardo, J Lv, C Lynch, TT Mallard, M Marcelis, RD Markello, SR Mathias, B Mazoyer, P McGuire, MJ Meaney, A Mechelli, N Medic, B Misic, SE Morgan, D Mothersill, J Nigg, MQW Ong, C Ortinau, C Ortinau, R Ossenkoppele, M Ouyang, L Palaniyappan, L Paly, PM Pan, C Pantelis, MM Park, T Paus, Z Pausova, D Paz-Linares, A Pichet Binette, K Pierce, X Qian, J Qiu, A Qiu, A Raznahan, T Rittman, A Rodrigue, CK Rollins, R Romero-Garcia, L Ronan, MD Rosenberg, DH Rowitch, GA Salum, TD Satterthwaite, HL Schaare, RJ Schachar, AP Schultz, G Schumann, M Schöll, D Sharp, RT Shinohara, I Skoog, CD Smyser, RA Sperling, DJ Stein, A Stolicyn, J Suckling, G Sullivan, Y Taki, B Thyreau, R Toro, N Traut, KA Tsvetanov, NB Turk-Browne, JJ Tuulari, C Tzourio, É Vachon-Presseau, MJ Valdes-Sosa, PA Valdes-Sosa, SL Valk, T van Amelsvoort, SN Vandekar, L Vasung, LW Victoria, S Villeneuve, A Villringer, A Villringer, PE Vértes, K Wagstyl, YS Wang, SK Warfield, V Warrier, E Westman, ML Westwater, HC Whalley, AV Witte, N Yang, B Yeo, H Yun, A Zalesky, HJ Zar, A Zettergren, JH Zhou, H Ziauddeen, A Zugman, XN Zuo, ET Bullmore, AF Alexander-Bloch, 3R-BRAIN, AIBL, Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Alzheimer’s Disease Repository Without Borders Investigators, UMN BCP, CALM Team, Cam-CAN, CCNP, COBRE, Developing Human Connectome Project, ENIGMA Developmental Brain Age working group, FinnBrain, Harvard Aging Brain Study, IMAGEN, KNE96, The Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, NSPN, POND, The PREVENT-AD Research Group, VETSA

Childhood trauma, life-time self-harm, and suicidal behaviour and ideation are associated with polygenic scores for autism.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-019-0550-x
Journal: Mol Psychiatry
E-pub date: 1 May 2021
Authors: V Warrier, S Baron-Cohen

Gene-environment correlations and causal effects of childhood maltreatment on physical and mental health: a genetically informed approach.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30569-1
Journal: Lancet Psychiatry
E-pub date: 1 May 2021
Authors: V Warrier, ASF Kwong, M Luo, S Dalvie, J Croft, HM Sallis, J Baldwin, MR Munafò, CM Nievergelt, AJ Grant, S Burgess, TM Moore, R Barzilay, A McIntosh, MH van IJzendoorn, CAM Cecil

Synaptic and transcriptionally downregulated genes are associated with cortical thickness differences in autism.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0023-7
Journal: Mol Psychiatry
E-pub date: 1 Jul 2019
Authors: R Romero-Garcia, V Warrier, ET Bullmore, S Baron-Cohen, RAI Bethlehem

Testing the Empathizing-Systemizing theory of sex differences and the Extreme Male Brain theory of autism in half a million people.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1811032115
Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
E-pub date: 27 Nov 2018
Authors: DM Greenberg, V Warrier, C Allison, S Baron-Cohen

Publications

Brain charts for the human lifespan

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04554-y
Journal: Nature
E-pub date: 6 Apr 2022
Authors: RAI Bethlehem, J Seidlitz, SR White, JW Vogel, KM Anderson, C Adamson, S Adler, GS Alexopoulos, E Anagnostou, A Areces-Gonzalez, DE Astle, B Auyeung, M Ayub, G Ball, S Baron-Cohen, R Beare, SA Bedford, V Benegal, F Beyer, J Bin Bae, J Blangero, M Blesa Cábez, JP Boardman, M Borzage, JF Bosch-Bayard, N Bourke, VD Calhoun, MM Chakravarty, C Chen, C Chertavian, G Chetelat, YS Chong, JH Cole, A Corvin, E Courchesne, F Crivello, VL Cropley, J Crosbie, N Crossley, M Delarue, S Desrivieres, G Devenyi, MA Di Biase, R Dolan, KA Donald, G Donohoe, K Dunlop, AD Edwards, JT Elison, CT Ellis, JA Elman, L Eyler, DA Fair, PC Fletcher, P Fonagy, CE Franz, L Galan-Garcia, A Gholipour, J Giedd, JH Gilmore, DC Glahn, I Goodyer, PE Grant, NA Groenewold, FM Gunning, RE Gur, RC Gur, CF Hammill, O Hansson, T Hedden, A Heinz, R Henson, K Heuer, J Hoare, B Holla, AJ Holmes, R Holt, H Huang, K Im, J Ipser, CR Jack, AP Jackowski, T Jia, KA Johnson, PB Jones, DT Jones, R Kahn, H Karlsson, L Karlsson, R Kawashima, EA Kelley, S Kern, K Kim, MG Kitzbichler, WS Kremen, F Lalonde, B Landeau, S Lee, J Lerch, JD Lewis, J Li, W Liao, DP Linares, C Liston, MV Lombardo, J Lv, C Lynch, TT Mallard, M Marcelis, RD Markello, B Mazoyer, P McGuire, MJ Meaney, A Mechelli, N Medic, B Misic, SE Morgan, D Mothersill, J Nigg, MQW Ong, C Ortinau, R Ossenkoppele, M Ouyang, L Palaniyappan, L Paly, PM Pan, C Pantelis, MM Park, T Paus, Z Pausova, A Pichet Binette, K Pierce, X Qian, J Qiu, A Qiu, A Raznahan, T Rittman, CK Rollins, R Romero-Garcia, L Ronan, MD Rosenberg, DH Rowitch, GA Salum, TD Satterthwaite, HL Schaare, RJ Schachar, AP Schultz, G Schumann, M Schöll, D Sharp, RT Shinohara, I Skoog, CD Smyser, RA Sperling, DJ Stein, A Stolicyn, J Suckling, G Sullivan, Y Taki, B Thyreau, R Toro, KA Tsvetanov, NB Turk-Browne, JJ Tuulari, C Tzourio, É Vachon-Presseau, MJ Valdes-Sosa, PA Valdes-Sosa, SL Valk, T van Amelsvoort, SN Vandekar, L Vasung, LW Victoria, S Villeneuve, A Villringer, PE Vértes, K Wagstyl, YS Wang, SK Warfield, V Warrier, E Westman, ML Westwater, HC Whalley, AV Witte, N Yang, BTT Yeo, HJ Yun, A Zalesky, HJ Zar, A Zettergren, JH Zhou, H Ziauddeen, A Zugman, XN Zuo, AF Alexander-Bloch, AIBL, Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Alzheimer’s Disease Repository Without Borders Investigators, ASRB, CALM Team, Cam-CAN, CCNP, 3R-BRAIN, COBRE, ENIGMA Developmental Brain Age working group, FinnBrain, Harvard Aging Brain Study, IMAGEN, KNE96, NSPN, OASIS-3, OpenPain Project, POND, The PREVENT-AD Research Group, VETSA, Bullmore, E.T

The effect of autistic traits on disembedding and mental rotation in neurotypical women and men.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08497-2
Journal: Sci Rep
E-pub date: 17 Mar 2022
Authors: M Conson, VP Senese, I Zappullo, C Baiano, V Warrier, LabNPEE Group, S Raimo, B Rauso, S Salzano, S Baron-Cohen

Grey and white matter micro-structure is associated with polygenic risk for schizophrenia

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.06.21251073
Journal:
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2021
Authors: E-M Stauffer, RAI Bethlehem, V Warrier, G Murray, R Romero-Garcia, J Seidlitz, E Bullmore

Is the Association Between Smoking and Depression Mediated by Inflammation? A Mendelian Randomization Study

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.04.21251136
Journal:
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2021
Authors: D Galan, BI Perry, V Warrier, D Easton, GM Khandaker, GK Murray

Increased prevalence of non-communicable physical health conditions among autistic adults.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/1362361320953652
Journal: Autism
E-pub date: 1 Apr 2021
Authors: E Weir, C Allison, V Warrier, S Baron-Cohen

Elevated rates of autism, other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, and autistic traits in transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17794-1
Journal: Nat Commun
E-pub date: 7 Aug 2020
Authors: V Warrier, DM Greenberg, E Weir, C Buckingham, P Smith, M-C Lai, C Allison, S Baron-Cohen

The effects of autistic traits and academic degree on visuospatial abilities.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-019-00941-y
Journal: Cogn Process
E-pub date: 1 Feb 2020
Authors: M Conson, VP Senese, C Baiano, I Zappullo, V Warrier, UNICAMPSY17 group, S Salzano, M Positano, S Baron-Cohen

Social and non-social autism symptoms and trait domains are genetically dissociable.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-019-0558-4
Journal: Commun Biol
E-pub date: 3 Sep 2019
Authors: V Warrier, R Toro, H Won, CS Leblond, F Cliquet, R Delorme, W De Witte, J Bralten, B Chakrabarti, AD Børglum, J Grove, G Poelmans, DA Hinds, T Bourgeron, S Baron-Cohen

The oxytocin receptor gene predicts brain activity during an emotion recognition task in autism

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-019-0258-4
Journal: Mol Autism
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2019
Authors: F Uzefovsky, R Bethlehem, S Shamay-Tsoory, A Ruigrok, R Holt, M Spencer, L Chura, V Warrier, B Chakrabarti, E Bullmore, J Suckling, D Floris, S Baron-Cohen, J Davis

Integrated genetic and methylomic analyses identify shared biology between autism and autistic traits.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-019-0279-z
Journal: Mol Autism
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2019
Authors: A Massrali, H Brunel, E Hannon, C Wong, iPSYCH-MINERvA Epigenetics Group, S Baron-Cohen, V Warrier

SOCIAL AND NON-SOCIAL DOMAINS OF AUTISM ARE GENETICALLY DISSOCIABLE

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.08.241
Journal: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2019
Authors: V Warrier, R Toro, B Chakrabarti, H Won, A Borglum, J Grove, DA Hinds, T Bourgeron, S Baron-Cohen

AUTISM POLYGENIC SCORES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT AND LIFETIME SELF-HARM BEHAVIOUR AND IDEATION

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.07.209
Journal: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2019
Authors: V Warrier, S Baron-Cohen

Reply to Perrykkad and Hohwy: When big data are the answer.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1903773116
Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
E-pub date: 9 Jul 2019
Authors: DM Greenberg, V Warrier, C Allison, S Baron-Cohen

Mapping genotype to phenotype in neurodevelopmental copy number variants.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30163-4
Journal: Lancet Psychiatry
E-pub date: 1 Jun 2019
Authors: V Warrier, S Baron-Cohen

The epigenetics of autism

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813796-3.00013-4
Journal:
E-pub date: 1 Jan 2019
Authors: A Massrali, V Warrier, A Paul, D Adhya, DP Srivastava, M Kotter, S Baron-Cohen

Genome-wide meta-analysis of cognitive empathy: heritability, and correlates with sex, neuropsychiatric conditions and cognition.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2017.122
Journal: Mol Psychiatry
E-pub date: 1 Jun 2018
Authors: V Warrier, KL Grasby, F Uzefovsky, R Toro, P Smith, B Chakrabarti, J Khadake, E Mawbey-Adamson, N Litterman, J-J Hottenga, G Lubke, DI Boomsma, NG Martin, PK Hatemi, SE Medland, DA Hinds, T Bourgeron, S Baron-Cohen

Genome-wide analyses of self-reported empathy: correlations with autism, schizophrenia, and anorexia nervosa.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-017-0082-6
Journal: Transl Psychiatry
E-pub date: 12 Mar 2018
Authors: V Warrier, R Toro, B Chakrabarti, iPSYCH-Broad autism group, AD Børglum, J Grove, 23andMe Research Team, DA Hinds, T Bourgeron, S Baron-Cohen

Genetic contribution to ‘theory of mind’ in adolescence.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-21737-8
Journal: Sci Rep
E-pub date: 22 Feb 2018
Authors: V Warrier, S Baron-Cohen

THE OXYTOCIN RECEPTOR INTERACTS WITH AUTISM DIAGNOSIS TO PREDICT BRAIN ACTIVATION IN RESPONSE TO THE EYES TEST

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.09.403
Journal: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2017
Authors: F Uzefovsky, R Bethlehem, S Shamay-Tsoory, A Ruigrok, R Holt, M Spencer, L Chura, V Warrier, B Chakrabarti, E Bullmore, J Suckling, D Floris, S Baron-Cohen

A META-ANALYSIS OF COGNITIVE EMPATHY: HERITABILITY AND CORRELATES OF THE ‘READING THE MIND IN THE EYES’ TEST WITH PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS, PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS AND SUBCORTICAL VOLUMES

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.09.608
Journal: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2017
Authors: V Warrier, K Grasby, F Uzefovsky, R Toro, P Smith, B Chakrabarti, J Khadake, E Mawbey-Adamson, N Litterman, J-J Hottenga, G Lubke, D Boomsma, NG Martin, PK Hatemi, S Medland, DA Hinds, T Bourgeron, S Baron-Cohen

Genetic variant rs17225178 in the ARNT2 gene is associated with Asperger Syndrome.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-015-0009-0
Journal: Mol Autism
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2015
Authors: A Di Napoli, V Warrier, S Baron-Cohen, B Chakrabarti

A Pooled Genome-Wide Association Study of Asperger Syndrome.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0131202
Journal: PLoS One
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2015
Authors: V Warrier, B Chakrabarti, L Murphy, A Chan, I Craig, U Mallya, S Lakatošová, K Rehnstrom, L Peltonen, S Wheelwright, C Allison, SE Fisher, S Baron-Cohen

A comprehensive meta-analysis of common genetic variants in autism spectrum conditions.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-015-0041-0
Journal: Mol Autism
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2015
Authors: V Warrier, V Chee, P Smith, B Chakrabarti, S Baron-Cohen

A genome wide association study of mathematical ability reveals an association at chromosome 3q29, a locus associated with autism and learning difficulties: a preliminary study.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0096374
Journal: PLoS One
E-pub date: 1 Aug 2014
Authors: S Baron-Cohen, L Murphy, B Chakrabarti, I Craig, U Mallya, S Lakatošová, K Rehnstrom, L Peltonen, S Wheelwright, C Allison, SE Fisher, V Warrier