Neurogenetics

Group Leader

Dr Dale Nyholt

Summary

The Neurogenetics Laboratory studies the role of genetics in the development and mechanism of the nervous system with the specific goal of identifying genes responsible for neurological disorders.

The primary focus is the studying of migraine; a frequent, debilitating and painful headache disorder that affects people during their most productive years (up to 25 percent of females and 7.5 percent of males). Although highly prevalent, migraines remain relatively mysterious in terms of origin. Further, there is presently no laboratory-based means to diagnose the disorder.

The work includes monitoring the inheritability of relevant genes, establishing DNA markers to find inheritability in family blood samples and identifying common genetic links with other disorders.

Conditions researched

• Depression
• Endometriosis
• Migraine

Current research 

• Molecular genetic study of migraine
• Investigating link between endometriosis and migraines
• Investigating links between migraine and depression, anxiety, stroke, irritable bowel syndrome, epilepsy and hypertension
• Identifying novel schizophrenia risk genes (1p31.1 and 1q23-25)
• Genome-wide association linking male pattern-baldness and prostate cancer

Group Leader: Dr Dale Nyholt 

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following funding agencies:

• Australian Research Council
• National Health and Medical Research Council
• NIH (NHLBI Mammalian Genotyping Service)
• GenomEUtwin

Professor Nick Martin and other senior researchers, Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory

Professor Grant Montgomery and other senior researchers, Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory

Professor Dorret Boomsma, Netherlands Twin Registry, Department of Biological Psychology, Free University, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Professor Aarno Palotie, Medical Sequencing, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK

Professor Lyn Griffiths, Genomics Research Centre and Griffith Institute for Health and Medical Research, Griffith University, Qld, Australia

Professor Bryan Mowry, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park - Centre for Mental Health, Qld, Australia