Novel Epidemiological Methods To Infer The Causal Effects Of Risk Factors On Neuropsychiatric And Cardiovascular Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$182,003.00
Summary
Epidemiological studies, which associate risk factors and disease, are central in informing public health policy. Because causality is difficult to ascertain from these associations, public health interventions based on these findings are at some risk of failure. We propose to develop, extend and apply an innovative epidemiological approach, Mendelian randomization (MR) to resolve the causal relationship between risk factors and neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular disorders.
Understanding The Etiology Of Psychiatric Disorders Through Whole Genome Analyses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$470,144.00
Summary
Psychiatric disorders exert a huge social and economic burden on society. In recent years, large genetic studies have led to important new insights into these disorders. Major new human genomics resources will soon become available. My research will take advantage of these datasets to investigate the genetic basis of key epidemiological features of psychiatric disorders, including risk due to parental age and sex-biased prevalence, and to identify novel risk genes for schizophrenia and autism.
A Genomic Dissection of Natural Adaptation in Mate Recognition. Adaptation is a fundamental area of evolutionary biology but we know surprisingly little about its underlying genetic basis. As a process, adaptation poses several challenges for Australian society including bacterial evolution of resistance to antibiotics, HIV resistance to antiviral medications and the evolution of pesticide resistance in agricultural pests. This study will use a model system and genomic tools to test theoretical ....A Genomic Dissection of Natural Adaptation in Mate Recognition. Adaptation is a fundamental area of evolutionary biology but we know surprisingly little about its underlying genetic basis. As a process, adaptation poses several challenges for Australian society including bacterial evolution of resistance to antibiotics, HIV resistance to antiviral medications and the evolution of pesticide resistance in agricultural pests. This study will use a model system and genomic tools to test theoretical models of the genetic basis of adaptation. This integrative approach will enhance Australia's research profile in genomics and evolutionary biology. The project will provide emerging scientists with skills in areas including genomics, molecular biology, evolutionary biology and agricultural genetics.Read moreRead less
Maximising knowledge from dense SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) data using multi-locus analysis. The genomics revolution has made it possible to measure thousands of DNA variants in individuals. This information can be used in many ways, including to find genes that cause variation between individuals in a population and to estimate the size of the population in the past. Our study will lead an analysis method that will extract more information out of such data. This will improve the effi ....Maximising knowledge from dense SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) data using multi-locus analysis. The genomics revolution has made it possible to measure thousands of DNA variants in individuals. This information can be used in many ways, including to find genes that cause variation between individuals in a population and to estimate the size of the population in the past. Our study will lead an analysis method that will extract more information out of such data. This will improve the efficiency of gene mapping methods, including applications in humans for traits related to productive ageing and a healthy start to life, will allow the estimation of genetic relatedness and genetic variation in natural populations, and will lead to more efficient selection programs in agricultural populations.Read moreRead less
The genetics of four ancient 'Kings' of Sahul and Sunda. This project aims to recover all the genetic information from four ancient humans. Two of these iconic specimens come from Australia and two from Malaysia. We will sequence the entire DNA (genomes) and proteins (proteome) of Mungo Man (Willandra), the Yidinji King (Cairns), the Deep Skull (Borneo) and the Bewah specimen (Malaysian Peninsula). This will provide a better understanding of the settlement of Australia and new knowledge about th ....The genetics of four ancient 'Kings' of Sahul and Sunda. This project aims to recover all the genetic information from four ancient humans. Two of these iconic specimens come from Australia and two from Malaysia. We will sequence the entire DNA (genomes) and proteins (proteome) of Mungo Man (Willandra), the Yidinji King (Cairns), the Deep Skull (Borneo) and the Bewah specimen (Malaysian Peninsula). This will provide a better understanding of the settlement of Australia and new knowledge about the ancient people of Australasia and their relationship to other human populations worldwide. The research will use cutting-edge methods of DNA and protein sequencing of ancient human material and will provide critical reference genomes / proteomes that will anchor future research.Read moreRead less
Genetic architecture and evolution of complex traits across populations. Most human traits have a genetic component and display substantial diversity within and among populations. How natural selection changes and maintains genetic variation in human traits is a long-standing question in evolution that the proposed project aims to answer. Using innovative statistical methods and largest genomic “big” datasets ever across populations of different ancestral backgrounds, this project expects to gen ....Genetic architecture and evolution of complex traits across populations. Most human traits have a genetic component and display substantial diversity within and among populations. How natural selection changes and maintains genetic variation in human traits is a long-standing question in evolution that the proposed project aims to answer. Using innovative statistical methods and largest genomic “big” datasets ever across populations of different ancestral backgrounds, this project expects to generate new knowledge on the roles of natural selection in shaping the genetic variation in traits and identify key factors that drive the differentiation of human populations. These outcomes will significantly improve our understanding on the evolution of human traits and adaptation of populations to changing environments.Read moreRead less
Drosophila Quantitative Genomics. This research proposal will be a key element in the emerging program in evolutionary and ecological functional genomics at the University of Queensland. Our studies utilize modern genomics approaches to address diverse national priorities from conservation of biological resources in the face of climate change, to understanding how genetic history contributes to drug susceptibility. The research will contribute to the intellectual foundation upon which rigorous ....Drosophila Quantitative Genomics. This research proposal will be a key element in the emerging program in evolutionary and ecological functional genomics at the University of Queensland. Our studies utilize modern genomics approaches to address diverse national priorities from conservation of biological resources in the face of climate change, to understanding how genetic history contributes to drug susceptibility. The research will contribute to the intellectual foundation upon which rigorous environmental and biomedical research is built. Social impact will be seen in the training of a new generation of integrative genome biologists, and the shaping of attitudes toward the role of genetics in human biology.Read moreRead less
Identifying Mitochondrial Genome Variants Associated With Familial Migraine Susceptibility
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$443,273.00
Summary
New therapeutic targets for migraine are desperately needed. Although studies have identified some migraine genes there remains considerable underlying genetic variation to be characterised. This study aims to identify functional variants in the mitochondrial genome that contribute to migraine susceptibility, utilising the isolated Norfolk Island population. Outcomes will determine the significance of the variants identified, potentially leading to new diagnostics.
Identifying Novel Gene Mutations For Molecular Diagnosis Of Familial Hemiplegic Migraine
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$623,460.00
Summary
This proposal aims to identify novel FHM genes by undertaking an NGS screen of the whole exome of 209 FHM patient samples. We will test the pathological relevance of detected novel mutations by functional analysis in human cell models and using patient-specific stem cell techniques. Using whole genome NGS technology to identify novel mutations will assist in the design and development of a comprehensive NGS approach to diagnose and differentiate this severe neurological disorder.
The origins of Australia's non-Pama-Nyungan speaking people. This project aims to test the likelihood of multiple migrations into Australia before European arrival and determine if the phylogenetic relationships among non-Pama-Nyungan languages is mirrored by their speakers’ genomic phylogenetic relationships. The non-Pama-Nyungan First People of Australia speak an extraordinary number and diversity of Aboriginal languages, but the origins of these languages and the genomic diversity of the peop ....The origins of Australia's non-Pama-Nyungan speaking people. This project aims to test the likelihood of multiple migrations into Australia before European arrival and determine if the phylogenetic relationships among non-Pama-Nyungan languages is mirrored by their speakers’ genomic phylogenetic relationships. The non-Pama-Nyungan First People of Australia speak an extraordinary number and diversity of Aboriginal languages, but the origins of these languages and the genomic diversity of the people who speak them are only now starting to be understood. There is a remarkable concordance between the Pama-Nyungan languages and the genomic diversity of their speakers. This research could show whether genomes change languages or vice versa, or whether they evolve together over time.Read moreRead less