Melvin McInnis, MD, FRCPsych, is the Thomas B and Nancy Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression, Professor of Psychiatry with the Department of Psychiatry and Depression Center at the University of Michigan.
He came to Michigan from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in 2004. Dr. McInnis’ undergraduate studies were at the University of Manitoba, his medical studies were completed at the University of Iceland, his psychiatry training was at the Maudsley Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry in London.
He came to the Johns Hopkins University in 1989 to study genetics with the Human Genetics program and spent 4 years as a fellow in molecular, medical, and psychiatric genetics, including 1 year as a clinical fellow in pediatric and medical genetics and 3 years in a molecular genetics laboratory.
He participated in the research in the genetics of bipolar disorder established in 1986 at JHU by Dr. Raymond DePaulo.
Dr. McInnis joined the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at JHU in 1993 and continued in the research in the genetics of bipolar disorder. He directed the laboratory research program focused on genetic mapping and linkage analysis from 1996 until his move to Michigan in 2004. Dr. McInnis has extensive experience in the clinical assessment of individuals with bipolar disorder. He has performed several hundred research interviews of bipolar individuals and family members; at JHU he attended two months annually on the affective disorders specialty unit, he performed two specialty affective disorders consults monthly as well as a small regular clinic for specialty bipolar patients. He has concomitantly considerable experience in clinical teaching of medical students and residents, including weekly teaching rounds and other clinical teaching seminars etc.
Dr. McInnis is an established and internationally renowned researcher in the genetics of bipolar disorder. He has published widely in the field and is an active participant in one of the largest and longest standings collaborations in BP disorder that began as the NIMH Genetics Initiative for Bipolar Disorder. This endeavor (known colloquially as the “G11”) now consists of a collaboration between 11 universities within the USA and is dedicated to the genetics of BP disorder. Dr. McInnis’ involvement began as a fellow genetics in 1989, at the time the collaboration between the 4 founding sites.
Dr. McInnis led the Hopkins efforts both clinically and from a laboratory perspective. He participated in the development and emendations of the Diagnostic Interview for Genetics Studies (DIGS), this instrument is used widely in psychiatric genetics and is translated into several languages. Dr. McInnis led many of the efforts over the years in genetic linkage analysis in the G11 and is first or senior author on several publications describing this work, based on microsatellite mapping of the multiplex BP families ascertained with the collaboration.
Dr. McInnis was a lead or active investigator in two additional genetic research programs at JHU, one focused on BP disorder and a second on early onset major depression. Upon relocating to Michigan, Dr. McInnis maintained an active collaboration with investigators at JHU and continues with an adjunct appointment in the Dept of Psychiatry.
Dr. McInnis has led the research and clinical efforts in bipolar disorder at the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry and Depression Center since he arrived in October 2004. He has brought the UM into the G11 BP collaboration and leads the efforts at UM in establishing the Prechter Bipolar Genetic Repository.
This project is a unique effort that aims to establish a repository of clinical and genetic material from 1,000 individuals with BP disorder as well as 1,000 controls. Extensive assessments include neurocognitive evaluations and other extensive clinical evaluations as well as establishing cell lines and storing DNA. This research is integrated into a specialty clinic focused on providing care for patients with BP disorder. This project exemplifies the mission of translational research.
Dr. McInnis is the PI at UM on a genetics project aimed at identification of risk and protective factors in BP disorder, this is a collaborative project involving JHU, Indiana University and Washington University St Louis. Dr. McInnis is collaborating, in the form of subcontracts, with Wayne State University on a project aimed at identification of intermediate phenotypes (endophenotypes) in BP disorder, this project studies both BP individuals and unaffected relatives in detail.
An additional collaborative project involves the National Center for Integrative Biomedical Informatics (NCIBI), Dr. McInnis is PI on one of the driving biological problems in this center, with a focus on the bioinformatics of BP disorder.
Further, Dr. McInnis is PI on a subcontract from UCSD for a project focused on the analyses of the data derived from GAIN (Genetics Association Information Network); these efforts are within the G11 investigative group.
Dr. McInnis is active within the Depression Center at the UM and is a member of the executive committee and steering committee. He leads that clinical informatics workgroup that is focused on integrating clinical assessments in a manner that is ultimately consistent with the mission of translational research in psychiatry.
Dr. McInnis has a relatively rare combination of research and clinical experience. He has extensive laboratory leadership experience in a molecular genetics laboratory as well as experience in genetic analyses and bioinformatics, and a published record of these accomplishments. His professed strength and depth is in the clinical arena and is a recognized expert in assessment and management of patients with complex mood disorders. His collaborative nature is reflected in the enduring collaborations that he has within the G11 group, as well as establishing collaborations locally with Wayne State U. He has established strong relationships within the University of Michigan with experts in molecular genetics (Margit Burmeister) and within the Department of Biostatistics. There are active interactions and collaborations between the McInnis group with the Health Services Section within the Dept of Psychiatry focused on bipolar disorder.