channel gene, and ANK3, a sodium channel–associated scaffolding gene—both of which are strongly associated with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, autism, and related neuropsychiatric conditions.
In clinical research conducted with colleagues at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, Mike evaluated outcomes in adults treated with low-dose lithium using a pharmacogenetic-informed approach. His findings demonstrated clinically significant reductions in both depression and anxiety when lithium treatment was guided by genetic variants in CACNA1C and ANK3. These results supported the view that many psychiatric diagnoses traditionally treated as discrete disorders may instead reflect shared biological pathways expressed along a spectrum, with treatment response influenced by genotype rather than diagnosis alone.
 

Key Conclusions

Mike’s research supports several core conclusions:

• Depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety often share overlapping genetic architectures, particularly involving calcium and sodium channel regulation.

• Pharmacogenetic-informed treatment can reduce trial-and-error prescribing and improve outcomes using established, low-cost medications such as lithium.

• Mood and behavioral traits are better understood as dimensional and spectrum-based, rather than binary  disease states.

• Nonlinear models drawn from chaos theory provide a useful framework for understanding why small genetic differences can produce large variations in symptom expression and treatment response.
   

These findings informed Mike’s development of a broader conceptual framework he is currently refining, known as The Spectrome—a model that conceptualizes personality, mood, and behavioral traits as existing along adaptive spectrums shaped by evolutionary pressures. Rather than viewing these traits solely as pathological, the Spectrome frames them as variations that have historically contributed to species survival, flexibility, and resilience, while acknowledging that extreme expressions may cause impairment in modern contexts.

In addition to academic research, Mike has contributed to public health practice, including the development of the Springfield–Greene County Health Department’s first HIV rapid-testing policy, translating evidence-based research into operational healthcare systems.

Selected Publications & Scholarly Work

Dickerson, M., & Reed, J. (2023). Pharmacogenetic testing may benefit people receiving low-dose lithium in clinical practice. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 36(6), 320–328. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000968

Brief summary: A clinical study demonstrating that pharmacogenetic-guided low-dose lithium treatment significantly reduces depression and anxiety in adults with CACNA1C and ANK3 risk variants, supporting precision psychiatry using an inexpensive and widely available medication.

 

Dickerson, M. (2023). Pharmacogenetic testing to reduce depression and anxiety in adults treated with low-dose lithium. Doctor of Nursing Practice dissertation, University of Missouri–Kansas City.

Brief summary: A doctoral research project integrating chaos theory and pharmacogenetics to demonstrate that mood and anxiety outcomes improve when lithium treatment is guided by CACNA1C and ANK3 genotypes, supporting a spectrum-based model of psychiatric illness.