Alexander, S. (2019 May 7). 5-HTTLPR: A pointed Review. Slate Star Codex. https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/05/07/5-httlpr-a-pointed-review/

  • This blog post provides an excellent overview of the empirical research and research culture that lead to the rise and fall of 5-HTTLPR (“the serotonin transporter”) as a candidate gene “for” depression.
  • There are a LOT of comments on the actual blog post, but pay attention to the response from the senior author on the replication project being discussed, Dr. Matt Keller.
  • A quick note on the source: This is a great individual piece of writing, but the blog author has received substantial criticism for his rationalist takes (and some of the discussion that ensues in the comments). Here’s some more information about it: wikipedia:Slate_Star_Codex.

Duncan, L. E., Ostacher, M., & Ballon, J. (2019). How genome-wide association studies (GWAS) made traditional candidate gene studies obsolete. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(9), 1518-1523. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0389-5

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