Luke Evans portrait
Assistant Professor • Publications
Institute for Behavioral Genetics • Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
luke.m.evans@colorado.edu

Institute for Behavioral Genetics
University of Colorado Boulder
447 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0447

Research Interests:

Methods for estimating heritability and investigating genomic architecture of complex traits. Recent work focuses on the heritability and genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders.

Active Grants:

  • NIH/NIA 1 R01 AG046938-06 (PI: Reynolds) Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan Behavioral Development & Cognitive Aging (CATSLife2). Role: Co-Investigator
  • NIH/NIDA 1 R01 DA044283-01 (PI: Vrieze) Deep sequencing, phenotyping, and imputation in large-scale biobanks: A novel and cost-effective framework to identify rare mutations associated with addiction. Role: Co-Investigator
  • NIH/NIMH 5 R01 MH100141-06 (PI: Keller) Estimating the genetic and environmental architecture of psychiatric disorders. Role: Co-Investigator
  • HEV~NI23013 Hevolution/AFAR. PI Evans. Hevolution/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Aging Biology and Geroscience Research, "Gene-gene interaction associations with frailty to identify core genes of aging and their biological context." Project duration 01/01/2024-12/31/2026. Total award $375,000. Role: Primary Investigator.
  • NIH/NIEHS R21ES035826-01. PI Harry Smolker. Long-term Effects of Developmental Air Pollution Exposure on Adult Mental Health: Sensitive Periods, Neural Correlates, and Genetic Risk Factors. Project duration 04/01/2023-03/31-2025, total award $391,250. Role: Co-Investigator.

Additional Resources:

Evans Lab Page

EBIO faculty page

Current CV

 

Current Lab

Christopher Arehart portrait
Christopher Arehart
Predoctoral Trainee
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Grace Bowman
Grace Bowman
Predoctoral Trainee

Former Trainees

Scott Funkhouser

Postdoctoral trainee, 2019-2021

Maizy Brasher

Masters Student

Travis Mize

Doctoral Student

Publications

Google Scholar - all publications

Differential shared genetic influences of anxiety with problematic alcohol use compared to alcohol consumption

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.; Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Colbert SMC; Funkhouser S; Johnson EC; Ehringer M; Evans L
Published in: Behavior Genetics: an international journal devoted to research in the inheritance of behavior in animals and man
Publication Date: 2020-11-01
Type: Journal Article

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Inbred Mouse Strains Selected for High and Low Open-Field Activity

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Evans, Luke M.; Lowry, Christopher A.
All Authors: Thomas AL; Evans LM; Nelsen MD; Chesler EJ; Powers MS; Booher WC; Lowry CA; DeFries JC; Ehringer MA
Published in: Behavior Genetics: an international journal devoted to research in the inheritance of behavior in animals and man
Publication Date: 2020-09-16
Type: Journal Article

The Role of A Priori-Identified Addiction and Smoking Gene Sets in Smoking Behaviors

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert; Hewitt, John K; Keller, Matthew C; Ehringer, Marissa A; Evans, Luke M.; Stitzel, Jerry A
All Authors:
Evans LM; Johnson EC; Melroy-Greif WE; Hewitt JK; Hoeffer CA; Keller MC; Saba LM; Stitzel JA; Ehringer MA...
  • Evans LM
  • Johnson EC
  • Melroy-Greif WE
  • Hewitt JK
  • Hoeffer CA
  • Keller MC
  • Saba LM
  • Stitzel JA
  • Ehringer MA
Published in: Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Publication Date: 2020-08-01
Type: Journal Article

No significant interaction between rs16969968 and genome-wide loci to predict cigarettes per day in the UK Biobank

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.; Ehringer, Marissa A; Keller, Matthew C
All Authors: Villela PNR; Border R; Keller MC; Evans LM; Ehringer MA
Published in: Behavior Genetics: an international journal devoted to research in the inheritance of behavior in animals and man
Publication Date: 2020-06-26
Type: Conference Proceeding

Investigating heterogenous genetic effects contributing to smoking behavior using the UK Biobank

CU Boulder Authors: Hewitt, John K; Keller, Matthew C; Stallings, Michael C; Evans, Luke M.; Boardman, Jason D
All Authors: Funkhouser SA; Evans LM
Published in: Behavior Genetics: an international journal devoted to research in the inheritance of behavior in animals and man
Publication Date: 2020-06-26
Type: Conference Proceeding

Genetic architecture of four smoking behaviors using partitioned h2SNP

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Evans LM; Jang S; Ehringer MA; Otto JM; Vrieze SI; Keller MC
Publication Date: 2020-06-19
Type: Journal Article

Little Evidence of Modified Genetic Effect of rs16969968 on Heavy Smoking Based on Age of Onset of Smoking

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Adjangba C; Border R; Romero Villela PN; Ehringer MA; Evans LM
Publication Date: 2020-04-24
Type: Journal Article

Sexual dimorphism and sex ratio bias in the dioecious willowSalix purpureaL

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Gouker FE; Carlson CH; Zou J; Evans L; Crowell CR; Smart CD; DiFazio SP; Smart LB
Publication Date: 2020-04-06
Type: Journal Article

Joint linkage and association mapping of complex traits in shrub willow (Salix purpurea L.)

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Carlson CH; Gouker FE; Crowell CR; Evans L; DiFazio SP; Smart CD; Smart LB
Published in: Annals of Botany
Publication Date: 2019-10-29
Type: Journal Article

The role of a priori-identified addiction and smoking gene sets in smoking behaviors

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors:
Evans LM; Johnson EC; Melroy-Grief WE; Hewitt JK; Hoeffer CA; Keller MC; Saba LM; Stitzel JA; Ehringer MA...
  • Evans LM
  • Johnson EC
  • Melroy-Grief WE
  • Hewitt JK
  • Hoeffer CA
  • Keller MC
  • Saba LM
  • Stitzel JA
  • Ehringer MA
Publication Date: 2019-08-12
Type: Journal Article

Measurement Error Cannot Account for Failed Replications of Historic Candidate Gene-by-Environment Hypotheses: Response to Vrshek-Schallhorn et al.

CU Boulder Authors: Keller, Matthew C; Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Border R; Johnson EC; Evans LM; Keller MC
Published in: American Journal of Psychiatry
Publication Date: 2019-08-01
Type: Journal Article

Multitrait genome‐wide association analysis of Populus trichocarpa identifies key polymorphisms controlling morphological and physiological traits

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors:
Chhetri HB; Macaya‐Sanz D; Kainer D; Biswal AK; Evans LM; Chen J; Collins C; Hunt K; Mohanty SS; Rosenstiel T...
  • Chhetri HB
  • Macaya‐Sanz D
  • Kainer D
  • Biswal AK
  • Evans LM
  • Chen J
  • Collins C
  • Hunt K
  • Mohanty SS
  • Rosenstiel T
Published in: New Phytologist
Publication Date: 2019-07-01
Type: Journal Article

Imputation of behavioral candidate gene repeat variants in 486,551 publicly-available UK Biobank individuals

CU Boulder Authors: McQueen, Matt; Hewitt, John K; Keller, Matthew C; Stallings, Michael C; Evans, Luke M.; Krauter, Kenneth S
All Authors:
Border R; Smolen A; Corley RP; Stallings MC; Brown SA; Conger RD; Derringer J; Donnellan MB; Haberstick BC; Hewitt JK...
  • Border R
  • Smolen A
  • Corley RP
  • Stallings MC
  • Brown SA
  • Conger RD
  • Derringer J
  • Donnellan MB
  • Haberstick BC
  • Hewitt JK
Published in: European Journal of Human Genetics
Publication Date: 2019-06-01
Type: Journal Article

No Support for Historical Candidate Gene or Candidate Gene-by-Interaction Hypotheses for Major Depression Across Multiple Large Samples

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.; Keller, Matthew C
All Authors: Border R; Johnson EC; Evans LM; Smolen A; Berley N; Sullivan PF; Keller MC
Published in: American Journal of Psychiatry
Publication Date: 2019-05-01
Type: Journal Article

CARDIOMETABOLIC AND SLEEP PATHWAYS TO COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING AT MIDLIFE

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.; Hewitt, John K
All Authors: Whitehurst LN; Smolen A; Evans LM; De Fries JC; Hewitt JK; Wadsworth SJ; Reynolds CA
Published in: Psychosomatic Medicine
Publication Date: 2019-03-06
Type: Conference Proceeding

Narrow-sense heritability estimation of complex traits using identity-by-descent information

CU Boulder Authors: Jones, Matt; Keller, Matthew C; Evans, Luke M.
All Authors:
Evans LM; Tahmasbi R; Jones M; Vrieze S; Abecasis GR; Das S; Bjelland DW; de Candia TR; Yang J; Goddard ME...
  • Evans LM
  • Tahmasbi R
  • Jones M
  • Vrieze S
  • Abecasis GR
  • Das S
  • Bjelland DW
  • de Candia TR
  • Yang J
  • Goddard ME
Published in: Heredity
Publication Date: 2018-12-01
Type: Journal Article

Characterization of a large sex determination region in Salix purpurea L. (Salicaceae)

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors:
Zhou R; Macaya-Sanz D; Rodgers-Melnick E; Carlson CH; Gouker FE; Evans LM; Schmutz J; Jenkins JW; Yan J; Tuskan GA...
  • Zhou R
  • Macaya-Sanz D
  • Rodgers-Melnick E
  • Carlson CH
  • Gouker FE
  • Evans LM
  • Schmutz J
  • Jenkins JW
  • Yan J
  • Tuskan GA
Published in: Molecular Genetics and Genomics: an international journal
Publication Date: 2018-12-01
Type: Journal Article

Adaptive introgression and maintenance of a trispecies hybrid complex in range-edge populations of Populus

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Chhatre VE; Evans LM; DiFazio SP; Keller SR
Published in: Molecular Ecology
Publication Date: 2018-12-01
Type: Journal Article

Relationships between estimated autozygosity and complex traits in the UK Biobank

CU Boulder Authors: Keller, Matthew C; Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Johnson EC; Evans LM; Keller MC
Published in: PLoS Genetics
Publication Date: 2018-07-01
Type: Journal Article

A 5-Enolpyruvylshikimate 3-Phosphate Synthase Functions as a Transcriptional Repressor in Populus

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors:
Xie M; Muchero W; Bryan AC; Yee K; Guo H-B; Zhang J; Tschaplinski TJ; Singan VR; Lindquist E; Payyavula RS...
  • Xie M
  • Muchero W
  • Bryan AC
  • Yee K
  • Guo H-B
  • Zhang J
  • Tschaplinski TJ
  • Singan VR
  • Lindquist E
  • Payyavula RS
Published in: The Plant Cell
Publication Date: 2018-07-01
Type: Journal Article

Imputation of Behavioral Candidate Gene Repeat Polymorphisms in 486,551 Publicly-Available UK Biobank Individuals

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors:
Border R; Smolen A; Corley RP; Stallings MC; Brown SA; Conger RD; Derringer J; Donnellan MB; Haberstick BC; Hewitt JK...
  • Border R
  • Smolen A
  • Corley RP
  • Stallings MC
  • Brown SA
  • Conger RD
  • Derringer J
  • Donnellan MB
  • Haberstick BC
  • Hewitt JK
Publication Date: 2018-06-29
Type: Journal Article

Comparison of methods that use whole genome data to estimate the heritability and genetic architecture of complex traits

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.; Keller, Matthew C
All Authors:
Evans LM; Tahmasbi R; Vrieze SI; Abecasis GR; Das S; Gazal S; Bjelland DW; de Candia TR; Goddard ME; Neale BM...
  • Evans LM
  • Tahmasbi R
  • Vrieze SI
  • Abecasis GR
  • Das S
  • Gazal S
  • Bjelland DW
  • de Candia TR
  • Goddard ME
  • Neale BM
Published in: Nature Genetics
Publication Date: 2018-05-01
Type: Journal Article

Relationships between estimated autozygosity and complex traits in the UK Biobank

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Johnson EC; Evans LM; Keller MC
Publication Date: 2018-03-29
Type: Journal Article

Using partitioned heritability methods to explore genetic architecture

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.; Keller, Matthew C
All Authors: Evans LM; Keller MC
Published in: Nature Reviews Genetics
Publication Date: 2018-03-01
Type: Journal Article

Conserving threatened riparian ecosystems in the American West: Precipitation gradients and river networks drive genetic connectivity and diversity in a foundation riparian tree (Populus angustifolia)

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Bothwell HM; Cushman SA; Woolbright SA; Hersch-Green EI; Evans LM; Whitham TG; Allan GJ
Published in: Molecular Ecology
Publication Date: 2017-10-01
Type: Journal Article

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