Ziada Ayorech

Postdoctoral Fellow - Health-, Developmental- and Personality- psychology

Norwegian version of this page

Email ziada.ayorech@psykologi.uio.no

Phone +47 22840885

Available hours By agreement

Username

Visiting address Forskningsveien 3A Harald Schjelderups hus 0373 Oslo

Postal address Postboks 1094 Blindern 0317 Oslo

Press photo Download business card

Academic interests and current projects

Ziada Ayorech is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the PROMENTA Research Center. Her project entitled Genetics, Geography and the Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Depression Risk (GenGeoRisk), combines genomic analyzes and geographical location data to tackle three barriers in the genetics of depression:

Lack of success in identifying specific genetic variants
Inadequate account of environmental risk factors in genetic research
Heterogeneity

Background

Ziada is trained in Behavioral Genetics from the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Center at King's College London, where she has honed skills in quantitative and molecular genetic techniques to investigate gene-environment correlation.

Her areas of interest include educational attainment, intergenerational social mobility, and psychiatric disorders.

She is also a big proponent of research communication and has written press releases, filmed explainer videos and conducted radio, and newspaper interviews.

Twitter: @ZiadaAyorech

Research Communication

Radio interview - Genetics of media use . In this live BBC radio 4 interview Ziada discusses genetic influences on social media use:

Online Science Videos

Genetics of Social Mobility . In this three-minute video Ziada describes a recent publication using polygenic scores and the twin design to investigate intergenerational social mobility—the relationship between parental social status and the social status attained by their offspring:

Genetics of educational choice . In this three-minute video Ziada describes a recent publication using the twin design to investigate the role of genetics in subject choice and achievement at the end of compulsory education in the UK:

TEDS The Journey So Far . Ziada interviewed study participants alongside Impact Media Specialist and former BBC journalist David Martin, who filmed and directed this 30-minute video on the breakthrough scientific findings from over 20-years of studying the 20,000 UK twin participants in the Twins Early Development Study.

Tags: genetics

Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Ayorech, Ziada; Cheesman, Rosa; Ahmadzadeh, Yasmin I. & Baldwin, Jessie R. [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2024). Disentangling direct and indirect genetic effects from partners and offspring on maternal depression using trio-GCTA. Nature Mental Health. p. 1–12. doi: 10.1038/s44220-024-00207-3.
Ayorech, Ziada; Torvik, Fartein Ask; Cheesman, Rosa; Eilertsen, Espen M.; Valstad, Mathias & Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). The structure of psychiatric comorbidity without selection and assortative mating. Translational Psychiatry. ISSN 2158-3188. 14(1), p. 1–9. doi: 10.1038/s41398-024-02768-4.
Raffington, Laurel; Tanksley, Peter T.; Vinnik, Liza; Sabhlok, Aditi; Patterson, Megan W. & Mallard, Travis [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Associations of DNA-Methylation Measures of Biological Aging With Social Disparities in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Clinical Psychological Science. ISSN 2167-7026. doi: 10.1177/21677026231186802.
Ayorech, Ziada; Baldwin, Jessie R.; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste; Rimfeld, Kaili & Plomin, Robert (2023). Gene-environment correlations and genetic confounding underlying the association between media use and mental health. Scientific Reports. ISSN 2045-2322. 13(1). doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-25374-0.
Ayorech, Ziada; Cheesman, Rosa; Eilertsen, Espen M.; Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Røysamb, Espen & McAdams, Tom A. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2023). Maternal depression and the polygenic p factor: A family perspective on direct and indirect effects. Journal of Affective Disorders. ISSN 0165-0327. 332, p. 159–167. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.043. Full text in Research Archive
Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada; Eilertsen, Espen Moen & Ystrøm, Eivind (2023). Why we need families in genomic research on developmental psychopathology. JCPP Advances. ISSN 2692-9384. 3(1). doi: 10.1002/jcv2.12138. Full text in Research Archive
Ayorech, Ziada; Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Røysamb, Espen & McAdams, Tom [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Maternal depression and the polygenic p factor: A family perspective on direct and indirect effects. PsyArXiv. doi: 10.31234/osf.io/6nwrx.
Hughes, Amanda M.; Sanderson, Eleanor; Morris, Tim; Ayorech, Ziada; Tesli, Martin Steen & Ask, Helga [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2022). Body mass index and childhood symptoms of depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A within-family Mendelian randomization study. eLIFE. ISSN 2050-084X. 11. doi: 10.7554/eLife.74320. Full text in Research Archive
Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Borgen, Nicolai Topstad; Lyngstad, Torkild Hovde; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Ayorech, Ziada & Torvik, Fartein Ask [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). A population-wide gene-environment interaction study on how genes, schools, and residential areas shape achievement. npj Science of learning. ISSN 2056-7936. 7, p. 1–9. doi: 10.1038/s41539-022-00145-8. Full text in Research Archive
Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Ayorech, Ziada; Borgen, Nicolai Topstad; Andreassen, Ole & Larsson, Henrik [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). How interactions between ADHD and schools affect educational achievement: a family-based genetically sensitive study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. ISSN 0021-9630. 63(10), p. 1174–1185. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13656. Full text in Research Archive
Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Ayorech, Ziada; Røysamb, Espen; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste & Njølstad, Pål Rasmus [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2022). On the importance of parenting in externalizing disorders: an evaluation of indirect genetic effects in families. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. ISSN 0021-9630. 63(10), p. 1186–1195. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13654. Full text in Research Archive
Askeland, Ragna Bugge; Hannigan, Laurie J.; Ask, Helga; Ayorech, Ziada; Tesli, Martin Steen & Corfield, Elizabeth [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2021). Early manifestations of genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. ISSN 0021-9630. p. 1–10. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13528. Full text in Research Archive
Hannigan, Laurie John; Askeland, Ragna Bugge; Ask, Helga; Tesli, Martin; Corfield, Elizabeth & Ayorech, Ziada [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2021). Genetic Liability for Schizophrenia and Childhood Psychopathology in the General Population. Schizophrenia Bulletin. ISSN 0586-7614. 47(4), p. 1179–1189. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa193. Full text in Research Archive
Baldwin, Jessie R.; Ayorech, Ziada; Rijsdijk, Fruhling; Schoeler, Tabea & Pingault, Jean-Baptiste (2020). Cyber-victimisation and mental health in young people: A co-twin control study. Psychological Medicine. ISSN 0033-2917. doi: 10.1017/S0033291720001178.

View all works in Cristin

Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ystrom, Eivind; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Ayorech, Ziada & Ystrøm, Eivind (2023). The anatomy of educational fields.
Ayorech, Ziada; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Havdahl, Alexandra & Ystrøm, Eivind (2023). Family-based approaches to gene-environment interplay.
Ayorech, Ziada; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Havdahl, Alexandra & Ystrøm, Eivind (2023). The genetics of depression across the childbearing years.
Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ystrom, Eivind; Ayorech, Ziada; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Ystrøm, Eivind & Ayorech, Ziada (2023). The Anatomy of Educational Fields.
Ayorech, Ziada; Davies, Neil; Smith, George Davey; Watson, Hunna J; Yilmaz, Zeynep & Bulik, Cynthia M [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2023). Causal risk factors for childhood eating behaviours and adulthood anorexia nervosa. A between and within family Mendelian randomisation study.
Ayorech, Ziada; Torvik, Fartein Ask; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Valstad, Mathias & Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2023). Leveraging family data can reveal the role of selection bias in genomic research.
Qin, Qi; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Ebeltoft, Joakim Coleman; Ayorech, Ziada & Ystrøm, Eivind (2023). School and geographical differences in the effect of heritable emotional and behavioural traits on educational performance.
Qin, Qi; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Ebeltoft, Joakim Coleman; Ayorech, Ziada & Ystrøm, Eivind (2023). School and geographical differences in the effect of heritable emotional and behavioral traits on educational performance.
Kozlowski Mayerhofer, Lilian Juliane; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Yu, Baeksan; Ayorech, Ziada; Lan, Xiaoyu & Ystrøm, Eivind [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). From Romance to Motherhood: Transitions in Relationship Satisfaction, Wellbeing and Illbeing from Pregnancy to Toddlerhood.
Kozlowski Mayerhofer, Lilian Juliane; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Ayorech, Ziada; Bartels, Meike; Ystrøm, Eivind & Røysamb, Espen (2023). Early manifestations of genetic profile in mental health phenotypes and the role of maternal wellbeing: findings from MoBa and NTR.
Haftorn, Kristine Løkås; Braithwaite, Elizabeth C; Page, Christian Magnus; Oftedal, Aurora; Ayorech, Ziada & Kaasen, Anne [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2023). Does DNA methylation at the OXTR gene mediate associations between maternal lifetime history of depression and poor breastfeeding outcomes?
Ebeltoft, Joakim Coleman; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada; Qin, Qi & Ystrøm, Eivind (2023). Inheritance of inequality: Comparing heritability estimates.
Ebeltoft, Joakim Coleman; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada; Qin, Qi & Ystrøm, Eivind (2023). Inheritance of inequality.
Ebeltoft, Joakim Coleman; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada; Qin, Qi & Ystrøm, Eivind (2023). The inheritance of inequality: Comparing heritability estimates of socioeconomic status.
Ayorech, Ziada; Baldwin, Jessie R.; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste; Rimfeld, Kaili & Plomin, Robert (2023). Author Correction: Gene-environment correlations and genetic confounding underlying the association between media use and mental health (Scientific Reports, (2023), 13, 1, (1030), 10.1038/s41598-022-25374-0). Scientific Reports. ISSN 2045-2322. 13(1). doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-30112-1.
Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada; Røysamb, Espen; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste & Njølstad, Pål Rasmus [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2022). A trio-gcta study of indirect and direct genetic effects on hyperactivity, inattention, conduct problems, and oppositional-defiant behaviors. European Neuropsychopharmacology. ISSN 0924-977X. 63. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.07.307.
Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Baldwin, Jessie R.; Ayorech, Ziada; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie & Ahmadzadeh, Yasmin [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2022). Disentangling intrafamilial effects on maternal depression using trio-GCTA. European Neuropsychopharmacology. ISSN 0924-977X. 63. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.07.125.
Ahmadzadeh, Yasmin; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Wechsler, Daniel; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada & Rayner, Cristopher [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Are mothers' prenatal emotional symptoms influenced by the foetal genome? Exploring the possibility of child-to-parent effects during pregnancy. European Neuropsychopharmacology. ISSN 0924-977X. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.07.346.
Ayorech, Ziada (2022). Gransker familien for å finne nøkkelen til fødselsdepresjon. [Business/trade/industry journal]. Apollon.
Malanchini, Margherita & Ayorech, Ziada (2022). Visualizing data in Behavioural genetic research.
Hannigan, Laurie John & Ayorech, Ziada (2022). Polygenic scores: The good, the bad, and everything in between.
Ayorech, Ziada & Smajlagic, Dinka (2022). Introduction to biology and genetics.
Ayorech, Ziada (2022). Why polygenic scores explain so little variance – yet we use them.
Ayorech, Ziada & Wootton, Robyn E (2022). Introduction to Mendelian Randomization.
Ayorech, Ziada (2022). Diversifying Risk Prediction to Innovate Genetic and Environmental Models of Depression (DRIvE) .
Ayorech, Ziada; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Torvik, Fartein Ask; Andreassen, Ole & Havdahl, Alexandra Karoline Saasen [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). The genetics of depression across the childbearing years.
Ayorech, Ziada (2022). The potential of genetic methods for mental health research.
Ayorech, Ziada (2022). Genetic and Geographic risk for Maternal Depression— the idea, results, and future directions.
Ayorech, Ziada (2022). Biology and Behaviour.
Ayorech, Ziada (2022). Intelligence.
Ayorech, Ziada (2022). Diversifying Risk Prediction to Innovate Genetic and Environmental Models of Depression (DRIvE) .
Ahmadzadeh, Yasmin; Fayese, Tolúwalàse; Abdalla, Hannah; Okundi, Malaika; Simela, Carl & Ayorech, Ziada (2022). Experiences of Black researchers: engaging with anti-racism in research.
Ayorech, Ziada; Ahmadzadeh, Yasmin & Wylde, Emily (2022). OwnTheMic -- A one day workshop for science communication.
mayerhofer, lilian; Ruiz, Virginia; Fluit, Anne-Marie & Ayorech, Ziada (2022). PSI Pride.
Ahmadzadeh, Yasmin; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Wechsler, Daniel; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada & Rayner, Cristopher [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Are mothers' prenatal emotional symptoms influenced by the foetal genome? Exploring the possibility of child-to-parent effects during pregnancy.
Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie; Ayorech, Ziada; Røysamb, Espen; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste & Njølstad, Pål Rasmus [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2022). A trio-gcta study of indirect and direct genetic effects on hyperactivity, inattention, conduct problems, and oppositional-defiant behaviors.
Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Baldwin, Jessie R.; Ayorech, Ziada; Cheesman, Rosa Catherine Gillespie & Ahmadzadeh, Yasmin [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2022). Disentangling intrafamilial effects on maternal depression using trio-GCTA.
Ayorech, Ziada; Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Torvik, Fartein Ask; Andreassen, Ole & Havdahl, Alexandra [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Investigating Heterogeneity in Depression Using Multiple Polygenic Scores. European Neuropsychopharmacology. ISSN 0924-977X. 51, p. E161–E161.
Ayorech, Ziada; Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Havdahl, Alexandra & Ystrøm, Eivind (2021). Polygenic P: Characterising the role of general liability to psychopathology in maternal depression . Behavior Genetics. ISSN 0001-8244. 51(5), p. 690–690.
Ayorech, Ziada; Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Torvik, Fartein Ask; Andreassen, Ole & Havdahl, Alexandra [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Investigating Heterogeneity in Depression Using Multiple Polygenic Scores.
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Introduction to Genome-wide association studies and polygenic scores.
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Introduction to Genome-wide Complex Trait Analyses (GCTA).
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Introduction to polygenic scores.
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Polygenic P.
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Heritability 101.
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Heritability 201.
Ayorech, Ziada; Davies, Neil; Wootton, Robyn; Watson, Hunna J; Hannigan, Laurie John & Askeland, Ragna Bugge [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2021). Differential causal risk patterns in childhood eating behaviours compared to adulthood anorexia nervosa. A Mendelian randomization study.
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Marie-Curie Masterclass.
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Introduction to the Genetics Network: tools for conducting and communicating genetic research .
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Genetics, Geography and the Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Depression Risk.
Ayorech, Ziada; Gillespie Cheesman, Rosa Catherine; Eilertsen, Espen Moen; Havdahl, Alexandra & Ystrøm, Eivind (2021). Polygenic P: Characterising the role of general liability to psychopathology in maternal depression .
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Introduction to Mendelian Randomization.
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Presenting the PROMENTA Neighbourhood Genetics Research Group.
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Genes, Environments and Intelligence.
Ayorech, Ziada (2021). Introduction to genetic methods.
Hughes, Amanda; Morris, Tim; Ayorech, Ziada; Tesli, Martin Steen; Ask, Helga & Askeland, Ragna Bugge [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2021). The causal effect of BMI on neurodevelopment: a within family Mendelian randomization study using MoBa. International Journal of Epidemiology. ISSN 0300-5771. 50(Suppl 1). doi: 10.1093/ije/dyab168.296. Full text in Research Archive
Lennox, Ziada Ayorech; Davies, Neil; Hannigan, Laurie John; Askeland, Ragna Bugge; Tesli, Martin Steen & Andreassen, Ole Andreas [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2020). Which Metabo-Psychiatric Factors Affect the Risk of Anorexia Nervosa? A Mendelian Randomization Study.
Askeland, Ragna Bugge; Hannigan, Laurie John; Ask, Helga; Lennox, Ziada Ayorech; Tesli, Martin Steen & Corfield, Elizabeth [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2020). Genetic risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders.
Askeland, Ragna Bugge; Hannigan, Laurie John; Ask, Helga; Ayorech, Ziada; Tesli, Martin Steen & Corfield, Elizabeth [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2020). Early manifestations of genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. PsyArXiv (Preprint artikkel).
Hannigan, Laurie John; Askeland, Ragna Bugge; Ask, Helga; Tesli, Martin Steen; Corfield, Elizabeth & Ayorech, Ziada [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2020). Developmental milestones in early childhood and genetic liability to neurodevelopmental disorders. PsyArXiv (Preprint artikkel).