Exploring the Interplay between Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Childhood Conduct Problems in Global Perspective

The proposed research project will extract data from three,
large longitudinal cohort studies to further explore the
aetiology of conduct disorder trajectories. Trajectories of
conduct problems will be estimated using nonparametric
trajectory estimation. Socio-environmental risk factors will
be identified using multinomial logistic regression.
Polygenic risk score analyses will investigate how these
environmental risk factors interact with the genetic liability
for conduct disorder. Additionally, the proposed PhD will
take a global perspective in identifying regional and other
potential population specific variations in risk pathways for
conduct problems among children. My PhD project proposal
will provide more power than any previous study on the
aetiology of conduct disorder and will be useful for young
people and in clinical practice, as it will help to further our
understanding of child conduct problems. By discovering
the causal factors of conduct problems and recognizing the
exact problems which individuals go through, the data
obtained in this PhD will help to optimise and/or develop
services and suggest potential targets for interventions and
prevention of disruptive behavioural problems in childhood
and adolescence.