Christopher Ching

Overview

Dr. Christopher Ching is an Assistant Professor at the Imaging Genetics Center within the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute at the University of Southern California. His research focuses on neuroimaging and genomic markers of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and rare genetic mutations like 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. As a core member of the ENIGMA Consortium, he leads the ENIGMA Bipolar Disorder Working Group, coordinating over 200 international researchers to study brain correlates of mental illnesses. His work emphasizes large-scale neuroimaging harmonization and machine learning applications.

Education & Training

• Postdoctoral Fellowship: Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Disease (USC, 2019–2021)
• Predoctoral Fellowship: Neurobehavioral Genetics (UCLA, 2015–2016)
• Neuroimaging Training: NIH-funded programs (UCLA, 2012–2013)

Research Interests

Dr. Ching’s research integrates neuroimaging and genomics to uncover biological mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders. Key areas include:

• ENIGMA Consortium: Standardizing large-scale neuroimaging analyses for conditions like bipolar disorder and chronic pain
• Rare Genetic Mutations: Studying 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome and other copy number variants
• Multisite Collaboration: Developing reproducible methods for cross-diagnostic studies
• Machine Learning: Predicting treatment responses and diagnosing mental illnesses using MRI data

Publications & Awards

His work has yielded over 150 publications, including high-impact studies on:

• Bipolar disorder brain structure alterations
• Genetic influences on brain volume
• Meditation’s neuroscientific effects

He has received awards from NIH, NSF, and UCLA training programs.

Labs & Initiatives

Leads the ENIGMA Bipolar Disorder Working Group and ENIGMA-Meditation Consortium, advancing global neuroimaging research in mental health.