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  2. Report of Progress During the First 18 Months of Operation
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South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute College of Sciences

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Sarah Williams-Blangero, Ph.D.
Director
Email: sarah.williams-blangero@utrgv.edu
Phone: (956) 882-7501 (Brownsville campus) Phone: (956) 665-6426 (McAllen Biomedical Research Facility - MBMRF)

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Progress Report Faculty

Laura Almasy

Professor
Phone: 210-585-9768
Email: laura.almasy@utrgv.edu
Read More

Laura Almasy

EDUCATION:

1996 Ph.D. Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CT

1992 M.Phil. Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CT

RESEARCH FOCUS:

The central focus of Dr. Almasy's research is the development, testing, and application of statistical genetic methods for identifying and characterizing genes influencing complex traits and related quantitative risk factors. Much of her applied work is in the area of psychiatric genetics where she is involved in genetic studies of schizophrenia, alcoholism and other addictions, and normal variation in brain structure and function. She is one of the principal investigators of the multi-site Multiplex Multigenerational Investigation of Schizophrenia (MGI) study and collaborates on several consortium studies combining the MGI with the COGS and PAARTNERS schizophrenia studies. Further, she leads the Texas site of the multisite Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) and directs the Genetic Analysis Workshop (GAW)--an international forum for development and testing of statistical genetic methods started by Dr. Jean MacCluer in 1982. GAW19 was held in 2014 and concentrated on analysis of human sequence and gene expression data. Dr. Almasy is assisting in the preparation for GAW20 which will be held in early spring of 2017.

BOOK(S):

Duggirala R, Almasy L, Williams-Blangero S, Paul S, Kole C (eds). Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.

BOOK CHAPTERS:

  1. Almasy L, Kos MZ, Blangero J. Linkage mapping: Localizing the genes that shape human variation. Pp. 33-52. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates. R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.
  2. Arya R, Puppala S, Farook VS, Chittoor G, Jenkinson CP, Blangero J, Hale DE, Duggirala R, Almasy L. Mapping of susceptibility genes for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome in human populations. Pp. 181-246. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.
  3. Curran JE, Bellis C, Almasy L, Blangero J. Genomic studies of human populations: Resequencing approaches to the identification of human quantitative loci. Pp. 289-299. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Nicholson AM, Finch NA, Almeida M, Perkerson RB, van Blitterswijk M, Wojtas A, Cenik B, Rotondo S, Inskeep V, Almasy L, Dyer T, Peralta J, Jun G, Wood AR, Frayling TM, Fuchsberger C, Fowler S, Teslovich TM, Manning AK, Kumar S, Curran J, Lehman D, Abecasis G, Duggirala R, Pottier C, Zahir HA, Crook JE, Karydas A, Mitic L, Sun Y, Dickson DW, Bu G, Herz J, Yu G, Miller BL, Ferguson S, Petersen RC, Graff-Radford N, Blangero J, Rademakers R. Prosaposin is a regulator of progranulin levels and oligomerization. Nat Commun. 2016 Jun 30;7:11992. doi: 10.1038/ncomms11992. PubMed PMID: 27356620.
  2. Hodgson K, Almasy L, Knowles EE, Kent JW, Curran JE, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Pearlson GD, Krystal JH, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant loci for addiction and anxiety. Eur Psychiatry. 2016 Jun 15;36:47-54. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.03.004. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27318301.
  3. Hanson RL, Leti F, Tsinajinnie D, Kobes S, Puppala S, Curran JE, Almasy L, Lehman DM, Blangero J, Duggirala R, DiStefano JK. The Arg59Trp variant in ANGPTL8 (betatrophin) is associated with total and HDL-cholesterol in American Indians and Mexican Americans and differentially affects cleavage of ANGPTL3. Mol Genet Metab. 2016 Jun;118(2):128-37. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2016.04.007. Epub 2016 Apr 19. PubMed PMID: 27117576; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4880492.
  4. Chartier KG, Dick DM, Almasy L, Chan G, Aliev F, Schuckit MA, Scott DM, Kramer J, Bucholz KK, Bierut LJ, Nurnberger J Jr, Porjesz B, Hesselbrock VM. Interactions between alcohol metabolism genes and religious involvement in association with maximum drinks and alcohol dependence symptoms. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2016 May;77(3):393-404. PubMed PMID: 27172571; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4869897.
  5. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Wong G, Weir JM, Barlow CK, Dyer TD, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Glahn DC, Magliano DJ, Zimmet P, Shaw J, Williams-Blangero S, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Meikle PJ, Curran JE. Lipidomic risk score independently and cost-effectively predicts risk of future type 2 diabetes: Results from diverse cohorts. Lipids Health Dis. 2016 Apr 4;15(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0234-3. PubMed PMID: 27044508; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4820916.
  6. Chittoor G, Kent JW Jr, Almeida M, Puppala S, Farook VS, Cole SA, Haack K, Göring HH, MacCluer JW, Curran JE, Carless MA, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Lehman DM, Duggirala R, Comuzzie AG, Blangero J, Voruganti VS. GWAS and transcriptional analysis prioritize ITPR1 and CNTN4 for a serum uric acid 3p26 QTL in Mexican Americans. BMC Genomics. 2016 Apr 2;17(1):276. doi: 10.1186/s12864-016-2594-5. PubMed PMID: 27039371; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4818944.
  7. Franke B, Stein JL, Ripke S, Anttila V, Hibar DP, van Hulzen KJ, Arias-Vasquez A, Smoller JW, Nichols TE, Neale MC, McIntosh AM, Lee P, McMahon FJ, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Mattheisen M, Andreassen OA, Gruber O, Sachdev PS, Roiz-Santiañez R, Saykin AJ, Ehrlich S, Mather KA, Turner JA, Schwarz E, Thalamuthu A, Yao Y, Ho YY, Martin NG, Wright MJ; Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium; Psychosis Endophenotypes International Consortium; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2; Enigma Consortium, O'Donovan MC, Thompson PM, Neale BM, Medland SE, Sullivan PF. Genetic influences on schizophrenia and subcortical brain volumes: Large-scale proof of concept. Nat Neurosci. 2016 Mar;19(3):420-31. doi: 10.1038/nn.4228. Epub 2016 Feb 1. PubMed PMID: 26854805; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4852730.
  8. Kos MZ, Carless MA, Peralta J, Blackburn A, Almeida M, Roalf D, Pogue-Geile MF, Prasad K, Gur RC, Nimgaonkar V, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Glahn DC, Blangero J, Gur RE, Almasy L. Exome sequence data from multigenerational families implicate AMPA receptor trafficking in neurocognitive impairment and schizophrenia risk. Schizophr Bull. 2016 Mar;42(2):288-300. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbv135. Epub 2015 Sep 24. PubMed PMID: 26405221; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4753604.
  9. Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide linkage on chromosome 10q26 for a dimensional scale of major depression. J Affect Disord. 2016 Feb;191:123-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.11.012. Epub 2015 Nov 17. PubMed PMID: 26655122; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4715913.
  10. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Neary JL, Cole SA, Kent JW, Kumar S, Glahn DC, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Carless MA. Genome- and epigenome-wide association study of hypertriglyceridemic waist in Mexican American families. Clin Epigenetics. 2016 Jan 20;8:6. doi: 10.1186/s13148-016-0173-x. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 26798409; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4721061.
  11. Mathias SR, Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Recurrent major depression and right hippocampal volume: A bivariate linkage and association study. Hum Brain Mapp. 2016 Jan;37(1):191-202. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23025. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26485182.
  12. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.
  13. Sprooten E, Gupta CN, Knowles EE, McKay DR, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Calhoun VD, Blangero J, Turner JA, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant linkage of schizophrenia-related neuroanatomical trait to 12q24. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2015 Dec;168(8):678-86. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32360. Epub 2015 Oct 5. PubMed PMID: 26440917; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4639444.
  14. Rubicz R, Yolken R, Drigalenko E, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kent J Jr, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Cole SA, Fowler SP, Arya R, Puppala S, Almasy L, Moses EK, Kraig E, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Leach CT, Göring HH. Genome-wide genetic investigation of serological measures of common infections. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Nov;23(11):1544-8. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.24. Epub 2015 Mar 11. PubMed PMID: 25758998; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4613484.
  15. Kulkarni H, Kos MZ, Neary J, Dyer TD, Kent JW Jr, Göring HH, Cole SA, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Curran JE, Blangero J, Carless MA. Novel epigenetic determinants of type 2 diabetes in Mexican-American families. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Sep 15;24(18):5330-44. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv232. Epub 2015 Jun 22. PubMed PMID: 26101197; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4550817.
  16. Blackburn A, Almeida M, Dean A, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Abraham LJ, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kumar S, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie A, Williams-Blangero S, Blangero J, Lehman DM, Göring HH. Effects of copy number variable regions on local gene expression in white blood cells of Mexican Americans. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Sep;23(9):1229-35. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.280. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PubMed PMID: 25585699; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4538210.
  17. Xu K, Kranzler HR, Sherva R, Sartor CE, Almasy L, Koesterer R, Zhao H, Farrer LA, Gelernter J. Genomewide association study for maximum number of alcoholic drinks in European Americans and African Americans. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2015 Jul;39(7):1137-47. doi: 10.1111/acer.12751. Epub 2015 Jun 3. PubMed PMID: 26036284; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4706077.
  18. Kochunov P, Jahanshad N, Marcus D, Winkler A, Sprooten E, Nichols TE, Wright SN, Hong LE, Patel B, Behrens T, Jbabdi S, Andersson J, Lenglet C, Yacoub E, Moeller S, Auerbach E, Ugurbil K, Sotiropoulos SN, Brouwer RM, Landman B, Lemaitre H, den Braber A, Zwiers MP, Ritchie S, van Hulzen K, Almasy L, Curran J, deZubicaray GI, Duggirala R, Fox P, Martin NG, McMahon KL, Mitchell B, Olvera RL, Peterson C, Starr J, Sussmann J, Wardlaw J, Wright M, Boomsma DI, Kahn R, de Geus EJ, Williamson DE, Hariri A, van 't Ent D, Bastin ME, McIntosh A, Deary IJ, Hulshoff Pol HE, Blangero J, Thompson PM, Glahn DC, Van Essen DC. Heritability of fractional anisotropy in human white matter: A comparison of Human Connectome Project and ENIGMA-DTI data. Neuroimage. 2015 May 1;111:300-11. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.02.050. Epub 2015 Mar 4. PubMed PMID: 25747917; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4387079.
  19. Hibar DP, Stein JL, Renteria ME, Arias-Vasquez A, Desrivières S, Jahanshad N, Toro R, Wittfeld K, Abramovic L, Andersson M, Aribisala BS, Armstrong NJ, Bernard M, Bohlken MM, Boks MP, Bralten J, Brown AA, Chakravarty MM, Chen Q, Ching CR, Cuellar-Partida G, den Braber A, Giddaluru S, Goldman AL, Grimm O, Guadalupe T, Hass J, Woldehawariat G, Holmes AJ, Hoogman M, Janowitz D, Jia T, Kim S, Klein M, Kraemer B, Lee PH, Olde Loohuis LM, Luciano M, Macare C, Mather KA, Mattheisen M, Milaneschi Y, Nho K, Papmeyer M, Ramasamy A, Risacher SL, Roiz-Santiañez R, Rose EJ, Salami A, Sämann PG, Schmaal L, Schork AJ, Shin J, Strike LT, Teumer A, van Donkelaar MM, van Eijk KR, Walters RK, Westlye LT, Whelan CD, Winkler AM, Zwiers MP, Alhusaini S, Athanasiu L, Ehrlich S, Hakobjan MM, Hartberg CB, Haukvik UK, Heister AJ, Hoehn D, Kasperaviciute D, Liewald DC, Lopez LM, Makkinje RR, Matarin M, Naber MA, McKay DR, Needham M, Nugent AC, Pütz B, Royle NA, Shen L, Sprooten E, Trabzuni D, van der Marel SS, van Hulzen KJ, Walton E, Wolf C, Almasy L, Ames D, Arepalli S, Assareh AA, Bastin ME, Brodaty H, Bulayeva KB, Carless MA, Cichon S, Corvin A, Curran JE, Czisch M, de Zubicaray GI, Dillman A, Duggirala R, Dyer TD, Erk S, Fedko IO, Ferrucci L, Foroud TM, Fox PT, Fukunaga M, Gibbs JR, Göring HH, Green RC, Guelfi S, Hansell NK, Hartman CA, Hegenscheid K, Heinz A, Hernandez DG, Heslenfeld DJ, Hoekstra PJ, Holsboer F, Homuth G, Hottenga JJ, Ikeda M, Jack CR Jr, Jenkinson M, Johnson R, Kanai R, Keil M, Kent JW Jr, Kochunov P, Kwok JB, Lawrie SM, Liu X, Longo DL, McMahon KL, Meisenzahl E, Melle I, Mohnke S, Montgomery GW, Mostert JC, Mühleisen TW, Nalls MA, Nichols TE, Nilsson LG, Nöthen MM, Ohi K, Olvera RL, Perez-Iglesias R, Pike GB, Potkin SG, Reinvang I, Reppermund S, Rietschel M, Romanczuk-Seiferth N, Rosen GD, Rujescu D, Schnell K, Schofield PR, Smith C, Steen VM, Sussmann JE, Thalamuthu A, Toga AW, Traynor BJ, Troncoso J, Turner JA, Valdés Hernández MC, van 't Ent D, van der Brug M, van der Wee NJ, van Tol MJ, Veltman DJ, Wassink TH, Westman E, Zielke RH, Zonderman AB, Ashbrook DG, Hager R, Lu L, McMahon FJ, Morris DW, Williams RW, Brunner HG, Buckner RL, Buitelaar JK, Cahn W, Calhoun VD, Cavalleri GL, Crespo-Facorro B, Dale AM, Davies GE, Delanty N, Depondt C, Djurovic S, Drevets WC, Espeseth T, Gollub RL, Ho BC, Hoffmann W, Hosten N, Kahn RS, Le Hellard S, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Müller-Myhsok B, Nauck M, Nyberg L, Pandolfo M, Penninx BW, Roffman JL, Sisodiya SM, Smoller JW, van Bokhoven H, van Haren NE, Völzke H, Walter H, Weiner MW, Wen W, White T, Agartz I, Andreassen OA, Blangero J, Boomsma DI, Brouwer RM, Cannon DM, Cookson MR, de Geus EJ, Deary IJ, Donohoe G, Fernández G, Fisher SE, Francks C, Glahn DC, Grabe HJ, Gruber O, Hardy J, Hashimoto R, Hulshoff Pol HE, Jönsson EG, Kloszewska I, Lovestone S, Mattay VS, Mecocci P, McDonald C, McIntosh AM, Ophoff RA, Paus T, Pausova Z, Ryten M, Sachdev PS, Saykin AJ, Simmons A, Singleton A, Soininen H, Wardlaw JM, Weale ME, Weinberger DR, Adams HH, Launer LJ, Seiler S, Schmidt R, Chauhan G, Satizabal CL, Becker JT, Yanek L, van der Lee SJ, Ebling M, Fischl B, Longstreth WT Jr, Greve D, Schmidt H, Nyquist P, Vinke LN, van Duijn CM, Xue L, Mazoyer B, Bis JC, Gudnason V, Seshadri S, Ikram MA; Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; CHARGE Consortium; EPIGEN; IMAGEN; SYS, Martin NG, Wright MJ, Schumann G, Franke B, Thompson PM, Medland SE. Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures. Nature. 2015 Apr 9;520(7546):224-9. doi: 10.1038/nature14101. Epub 2015 Jan 21. PubMed PMID: 25607358; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4393366.
  20. Gelernter J, Kranzler HR, Sherva R, Almasy L, Herman AI, Koesterer R, Zhao H, Farrer LA. Genome-wide association study of nicotine dependence in American populations: Identification of novel risk loci in both African- Americans and European-Americans. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Mar 1;77(5):493-503. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.08.025. Epub 2014 Sep 16. PubMed PMID: 25555482; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4386684.
  21. Knowles EE, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Sprooten E, Carless MA, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Pleiotropic locus for emotion recognition and amygdala volume identified using univariate and bivariate linkage. Am J Psychiatry. 2015 Feb 1;172(2):190-9. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14030311. Epub 2014 Oct 31. PubMed PMID: 25322361; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4314438.
  22. Roalf DR, Vandekar SN, Almasy L, Ruparel K, Satterthwaite TD, Elliott MA, Podell J, Gallagher S, Jackson CT, Prasad K, Wood J, Pogue-Geile MF, Nimgaonkar VL, Gur RC, Gur RE. Heritability of subcortical and limbic brain volume and shape in multiplex-multigenerational families with schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Jan 15;77(2):137- 46. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.05.009. Epub 2014 May 28. PubMed PMID: 24976379; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4247350.
  23. Glahn DC, Williams JT, McKay DR, Knowles EE, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Woolsey MD, Winkler AM, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J. Discovering schizophrenia endophenotypes in randomly ascertained pedigrees. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Jan 1;77(1):75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.06.027. Epub 2014 Jul 21. PubMed PMID: 25168609; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4261014.
  24. Spieker EA, Kochunov P, Rowland LM, Sprooten E, Winkler AM, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Blangero J, Glahn DC, Curran JE. Shared genetic variance between obesity and white matter integrity in Mexican Americans. Front Genet. 2015 Feb 13;6:26. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00026. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25763009; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4327744.
  25. Aliev F, Wetherill L, Bierut L, Bucholz KK, Edenberg H, Foroud T; COGA Investigators, Dick DM. Genes associated with alcohol outcomes show enrichment of effects with broad externalizing and impulsivity phenotypes in an independent sample. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2015 Jan;76(1):38-46. PubMed PMID: 25486392; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4263779.
  26. Dager AD, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Curran JE, Knowles E, Sprooten E, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Pearlson GD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Lovallo WR, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Shared genetic factors influence amygdala volumes and risk for alcoholism. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015 Jan;40(2):412-20. doi: 10.1038/npp.2014.187. Epub 2014 Jul 31. PubMed PMID: 25079289; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4443955.
  27. Mamdani M, Williamson V, McMichael GO, Blevins T, Aliev F, Adkins A, Hack L, Bigdeli T, van der Vaart AD, Web BT, Bacanu SA, Kalsi G; COGA Consortium, Kendler KS, Miles MF, Dick D, Riley BP, Dumur C, Vladimirov VI. Integrating mRNA and miRNA weighted gene co-expression networks with eQTLs in the nucleus accumbens of subjects with alcohol dependence. PLoS One. 2015 Sep 18;10(9):e0137671. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137671. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 26381263; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4575063.

GRANT REVIEW:

Health Research Board (Ireland): Research Training Fellowship for Healthcare Professionals

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Genomics and Computational Biology Editorial Advisory Board
Member, Genes Brain and Behavior Editorial Board
Review Editor, Frontiers in Applied Genetic Epidemiology
Member, International Society of Psychiatric Genetics Finance Committee
Judge, World Congress on Psychiatric Genetics Early Career Investigator Program Oral and Poster Presentation Awards
Voting Member, Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism Steering Committee
Member, Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism Genetic Analysis Committee
Chair, Genetic Analysis Workshop Advisory Committee
Chair, NHGRI Center for Inherited Disease Research Access Committee
Chair, UTHSCSA Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science, GCCRI and TBRI Pilot Project proposals
Member, Special Emphasis Panel ZRG1 IMST-D (55) for New Computational Methods for Understanding the Functional Role of DNA Variants that are Associated with Mental Disorders
Member, Special Emphasis Panel ZMH1 ERB - C (03) “Unveiling the Genome: Genetic Architecture of Several Mental Disorders Revealed”
Member, Special Emphasis Panel for NHLBI PAR-13-316: NHLBI Program Project Applications

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Icahn School of Med. at Mt. Sinai
University of California at San Diego
Virginia Commonwealth Univ.
Indiana University
University of Connecticut
Washington University
Rutgers University
University of Iowa
Yale University
SUNY Downstate
University of Pennsylvania
Texas Biomedical Research Institute
University of Pittsburgh

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
P.I. Neurodevelopment: Genes,
Environment and their
Interactions		 08/01/2015 -
05/31/2018		 NIH/ NIMH R01
MH107248		 472,415
P.I. A Neurobehavioral Family
Study of Schizophrenia		 01/01/2015 -
12/31/2018		 NIH/ NIMH R01
MH061622		 905,269
P.I. Genetic Analysis of Common
Diseases: An Evaluation		 08/01/2013 -
07/31/2017		 NIH/ NIGMS R01
GM031575		 1,016,573
P.I.
(UTRGV)		 Collaborative Study on the
Genetics of Alcoholism		 09/01/2014 -
08/31/2019		 NIH/ NIAAA
(Res. Found. State
U. of N.Y., SUNY)		 U10
AA008401		 275,125
Co-
Inv.		 Whole Genome Sequencing to
Identify Causal Genetic
Variants Influencing CVD Risk		 04/15/2012 -
03/31/2017		 NIH/ NHLBI R01
HL113323		 ---
Co-
Inv.		 2/3: Pedigree-Based Whole
Genome Sequencing of
Affective and Psychotic
Disorders		 03/01/2015 -
02/28/2019		 NIH/ NHLBI U01
MH105632		 ---
Professor
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: laura.almasy@utrgv.edu
San Antonio Technology Center, Room 320.05 3463 Magic Drive San Antonio, TX 78229
Phone: 210-585-9768

John Blangero

Professor, Director, Genomics Computing Center, Department of Human Genetics
Email: john.blangero@utrgv.edu
Read More

John Blangero

EDUCATION:

1986 Ph.D. Population Genetics Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

1982 M.A. Biological Anthropology Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

RESEARCH FOCUS:

The genetic underpinnings of common diseases like diabetes and heart disease have proven to be complex. Dr. Blangero has focused his research on the development and application of sophisticated statistical methods to analyze the vast quantities of genetic data generated in large family studies. Dr. Blangero is developing novel approaches to integrate bioinformatic data mining, gene expression analysis, epigenomic, metabolomic, functional genomic and association analysis into methods that will significantly reduce the time and cost of gene discovery. In addition to serving as Director of the STDOI Genomics Computing Center in the UTRGV School of Medicine, Dr. Blangero is the director of the San Antonio Family Heart Study which continues to be an invaluable resource for exploring many genetic questions. His research group is utilizing data generated by this project to search for genes that influence risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. He also has a major program searching for genes that regulate brain structure and function. The San Antonio Family Heart Study was one of the first major studies to incorporate genomic imaging--an emerging field that combines genetic analysis with magnetic resonance imaging to obtain highly detailed information on both anatomic variation and function in the heart and in the brain. Dr. Blangero led the establishment of state-of-the-art molecular genetics laboratories and computing facilities on the UTRGV Brownsville campus and orchestrated the installation of an 11,000-processor high-performance computer cluster named MEDUSA which serves as one of the world's largest parallel computing cluster devoted to genetic research. Dr. Blangero’s group also added new genome sequencers to enable deep sequencing techniques to more quickly find gene variants, measure their output, and accelerate the pace of translational research leading to better diagnostics and eventual treatments for improved human health. Most recently, Dr. Blangero has been involved in the development of a large-scale program for the routine production of stem cells from blood for use in functional genomic studies. His laboratory is pursuing high dimensional phenotyping of different cell types that are derived from such stem cells to better understand the function of human sequence variation. Dr. Blangero has major multi-year multi-million dollar research grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Disorders, and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to utilize whole genome sequencing to search for genes influencing psychiatric disorders, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease respectively.

BOOK CHAPTERS:

  1. Williams-Blangero S, Blangero J. The utility of genomics for studying primate biology. Pp. 1-6. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates. R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.
  2. Almasy L, Kos M, Blangero J. Linkage mapping: Localizing the genes that shape human variation. Pp. 33-52. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates. R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.
  3. MacCluer JW, Blangero J, Comuzzie AG, Ebbesson SO, Howard BV, Cole SA. Genetics of cardiovascular disease in minority populations. Pp. 155-179. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.
  4. Arya R, Puppala S, Farook VS, Chittoor G, Jenkinson CP, Blangero J, Hale DE, Duggirala R, Almasy L. Mapping of susceptibility genes for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome in human populations. Pp. 181-246. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.
  5. McKay DR, Winkler AM, Kochunov P, Knowles EE, Sprooten E, Fox PT, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genetic influence on the human brain. Pp. 247-258. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.
  6. Curran JE, Bellis C, Almasy L, Blangero J. Genomic studies of human populations: Resequencing approaches to the identification of human quantitative loci. Pp. 289-299. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.
  7. Diego VP, Kent JW, Blangero J, Familial studies: Genetic inferences. In: International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition), edited by JD Wright. Elsevier, Oxford, 2015, Pages 715-724, ISBN 9780080970875,http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.82029-2. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080970868820292)

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Nicholson AM, Finch NA, Almeida M, Perkerson RB, van Blitterswijk M, Wojtas A, Cenik B, Rotondo S, Inskeep V, Almasy L, Dyer T, Peralta J, Jun G, Wood AR, Frayling TM, Fuchsberger C, Fowler S, Teslovich TM, Manning AK, Kumar S, Curran J, Lehman D, Abecasis G, Duggirala R, Pottier C, Zahir HA, Crook JE, Karydas A, Mitic L, Sun Y, Dickson DW, Bu G, Herz J, Yu G, Miller BL, Ferguson S, Petersen RC, Graff-Radford N, Blangero J, Rademakers R. Prosaposin is a regulator of progranulin levels and oligomerization. Nat Commun. 2016 Jun 30;7:11992. doi: 10.1038/ncomms11992. PubMed PMID: 27356620.
  2. Hodgson K, Almasy L, Knowles EE, Kent JW, Curran JE, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Pearlson GD, Krystal JH, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant loci for addiction and anxiety. Eur Psychiatry. 2016 Jun 15;36:47-54. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.03.004. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27318301.
  3. Jenkinson CP, Göring HH, Arya R, Blangero J, Duggirala R, DeFronzo RA. Transcriptomics in type 2 diabetes: Bridging the gap between genotype and phenotype. Genom Data. 2015 Dec 17;8:25-36. doi: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.001. eCollection 2016 Jun. PubMed PMID: 27114903; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4832048.
  4. Hanson RL, Leti F, Tsinajinnie D, Kobes S, Puppala S, Curran JE, Almasy L, Lehman DM, Blangero J, Duggirala R, DiStefano JK. The Arg59Trp variant in ANGPTL8 (betatrophin) is associated with total and HDL-cholesterol in American Indians and Mexican Americans and differentially affects cleavage of ANGPTL3. Mol Genet Metab. 2016 Jun;118(2):128-37. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2016.04.007. Epub 2016 Apr 19. PubMed PMID: 27117576; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4880492.
  5. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Wong G, Weir JM, Barlow CK, Dyer TD, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Glahn DC, Magliano DJ, Zimmet P, Shaw J, Williams-Blangero S, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Meikle PJ, Curran JE. Lipidomic risk score independently and cost-effectively predicts risk of future type 2 diabetes: Results from diverse cohorts. Lipids Health Dis. 2016 Apr 4;15(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0234-3. PubMed PMID: 27044508; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4820916.
  6. Chittoor G, Kent JW Jr, Almeida M, Puppala S, Farook VS, Cole SA, Haack K, Göring HH, MacCluer JW, Curran JE, Carless MA, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Lehman DM, Duggirala R, Comuzzie AG, Blangero J, Voruganti VS. GWAS and transcriptional analysis prioritize ITPR1 and CNTN4 for a serum uric acid 3p26 QTL in Mexican Americans. BMC Genomics. 2016 Apr 2;17(1):276. doi: 10.1186/s12864-016-2594-5. PubMed PMID: 27039371; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4818944.
  7. Sung YJ, Pérusse L, Sarzynski MA, Fornage M, Sidney S, Sternfeld B, Rice T, Terry JG, Jacobs DR Jr, Katzmarzyk P, Curran JE, Jeffrey Carr J, Blangero J, Ghosh S, Després JP, Rankinen T, Rao DC, Bouchard C. Genome-wide association studies suggest sex-specific loci associated with abdominal and visceral fat. Int J Obes (Lond). 2016 Apr;40(4):662-74. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2015.217. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26480920; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4821694.
  8. Franke B, Stein JL, Ripke S, Anttila V, Hibar DP, van Hulzen KJ, Arias-Vasquez A, Smoller JW, Nichols TE, Neale MC, McIntosh AM, Lee P, McMahon FJ, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Mattheisen M, Andreassen OA, Gruber O, Sachdev PS, Roiz-Santiañez R, Saykin AJ, Ehrlich S, Mather KA, Turner JA, Schwarz E, Thalamuthu A, Yao Y, Ho YY, Martin NG, Wright MJ; Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium; Psychosis Endophenotypes International Consortium; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2; Enigma Consortium, O'Donovan MC, Thompson PM, Neale BM, Medland SE, Sullivan PF. Genetic influences on schizophrenia and subcortical brain volumes: Large-scale proof of concept. Nat Neurosci. 2016 Mar;19(3):420-31. doi: 10.1038/nn.4228. Epub 2016 Feb 1. PubMed PMID: 26854805; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4852730.
  9. Kos MZ, Carless MA, Peralta J, Blackburn A, Almeida M, Roalf D, Pogue-Geile MF, Prasad K, Gur RC, Nimgaonkar V, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Glahn DC, Blangero J, Gur RE, Almasy L. Exome sequence data from multigenerational families implicate AMPA receptor trafficking in neurocognitive impairment and schizophrenia risk. Schizophr Bull. 2016 Mar;42(2):288-300. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbv135. Epub 2015 Sep 24. PubMed PMID: 26405221; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4753604.
  10. Horikoshi M, Pasquali L, Wiltshire S, Huyghe JR, Mahajan A, Asimit JL, Ferreira T, Locke AE, Robertson NR, Wang X, Sim X, Fujita H, Hara K, Young R, Zhang W, Choi S, Chen H, Kaur I, Takeuchi F, Fontanillas P, Thuillier D, Yengo L, Below JE, Tam CH, Wu Y, Abecasis G, Altshuler D, Bell GI, Blangero J, Burtt NP, Duggirala R, Florez JC, Hanis CL, Seielstad M, Atzmon G, Chan JC, Ma RC, Froguel P, Wilson JG, Bharadwaj D, Dupuis J, Meigs JB, Cho YS, Park T, Kooner JS, Chambers JC, Saleheen D, Kadowaki T, Tai ES, Mohlke KL, Cox NJ, Ferrer J, Zeggini E, Kato N, Teo YY, Boehnke M, McCarthy MI, Morris AP; T2D-GENES Consortium. Transancestral fine-mapping of four type 2 diabetes susceptibility loci highlights potential causal regulatory mechanisms. Hum Mol Genet. 2016 Feb 23. pii: ddw048. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26911676.
  11. Yerges-Armstrong LM, Chai S, O'Connell JR, Curran JE, Blangero J, Mitchell BD, Shuldiner AR, Damcott CM. Gene expression differences between offspring of long-lived individuals and controls in candidate longevity regions: Evidence for PAPSS2 as a longevity gene. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2016 Feb 19. pii: glv212. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26896383.
  12. Traurig M, Hanson RL, Marinelarena A, Kobes S, Piaggi P, Cole S, Curran JE, Blangero J, Göring H, Kumar S, Nelson RG, Howard BV, Knowler WC, Baier LJ, Bogardus C. Analysis of SLC16A11 variants in 12,811 American Indians: Genotype-obesity interaction for Type 2 diabetes and an association with RNASEK expression. Diabetes. 2016 Feb;65(2):510-9. doi: 10.2337/db15-0571. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26487785; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4747458.
  13. Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide linkage on chromosome 10q26 for a dimensional scale of major depression. J Affect Disord. 2016 Feb;191:123-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.11.012. Epub 2015 Nov 17. PubMed PMID: 26655122; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4715913.
  14. Lu Y, Day FR, Gustafsson S, Buchkovich ML, Na J, Bataille V, Cousminer DL, Dastani Z, Drong AW, Esko T, Evans DM, Falchi M, Feitosa MF, Ferreira T, Hedman ÅK, Haring R, Hysi PG, Iles MM, Justice AE, Kanoni S, Lagou V, Li R, Li X, Locke A, Lu C, Mägi R, Perry JR, Pers TH, Qi Q, Sanna M, Schmidt EM, Scott WR, Shungin D, Teumer A, Vinkhuyzen AA, Walker RW, Westra HJ, Zhang M, Zhang W, Zhao JH, Zhu Z, Afzal U, Ahluwalia TS, Bakker SJ, Bellis C, Bonnefond A, Borodulin K, Buchman AS, Cederholm T, Choh AC, Choi HJ, Curran JE, de Groot LC, De Jager PL, Dhonukshe-Rutten RA, Enneman AW, Eury E, Evans DS, Forsen T, Friedrich N, Fumeron F, Garcia ME, Gärtner S, Han BG, Havulinna AS, Hayward C, Hernandez D, Hillege H, Ittermann T, Kent JW, Kolcic I, Laatikainen T, Lahti J, Mateo Leach I, Lee CG, Lee JY, Liu T, Liu Y, Lobbens S, Loh M, Lyytikäinen LP, Medina- Gomez C, Michaëlsson K, Nalls MA, Nielson CM, Oozageer L, Pascoe L, Paternoster L, Polašek O, Ripatti S, Sarzynski MA, Shin CS, Narančić NS, Spira D, Srikanth P, Steinhagen-Thiessen E, Sung YJ, Swart KM, Taittonen L, Tanaka T, Tikkanen E, van der Velde N, van Schoor NM, Verweij N, Wright AF, Yu L, Zmuda JM, Eklund N, Forrester T, Grarup N, Jackson AU, Kristiansson K, Kuulasmaa T, Kuusisto J, Lichtner P, Luan J, Mahajan A, Männistö S, Palmer CD, Ried JS, Scott RA, Stancáková A, Wagner PJ, Demirkan A, Döring A, Gudnason V, Kiel DP, Kühnel B, Mangino M, Mcknight B, Menni C, O'Connell JR, Oostra BA, Shuldiner AR, Song K, Vandenput L, van Duijn CM, Vollenweider P, White CC, Boehnke M, Boettcher Y, Cooper RS, Forouhi NG, Gieger C, Grallert H, Hingorani A, Jørgensen T, Jousilahti P, Kivimaki M, Kumari M, Laakso M, Langenberg C, Linneberg A, Luke A, Mckenzie CA, Palotie A, Pedersen O, Peters A, Strauch K, Tayo BO, Wareham NJ, Bennett DA, Bertram L, Blangero J, Blüher M, Bouchard C, Campbell H, Cho NH, Cummings SR, Czerwinski SA, Demuth I, Eckardt R, Eriksson JG, Ferrucci L, Franco OH, Froguel P, Gansevoort RT, Hansen T, Harris TB, Hastie N, Heliövaara M, Hofman A, Jordan
    JM, Jula A, Kähönen M, Kajantie E, Knekt PB, Koskinen S, Kovacs P, Lehtimäki T, Lind L, Liu Y, Orwoll ES,
    Osmond C, Perola M, Pérusse L, Raitakari OT, Rankinen T, Rao DC, Rice TK, Rivadeneira F, Rudan I, Salomaa V,
    Sørensen TI, Stumvoll M, Tönjes A, Towne B, Tranah GJ, Tremblay A, Uitterlinden AG, van der Harst P, Vartiainen
    E, Viikari JS, Vitart V, Vohl MC, Völzke H, Walker M, Wallaschofski H, Wild S, Wilson JF, Yengo L, Bishop DT,
    Borecki IB, Chambers JC, Cupples LA, Dehghan A, Deloukas P, Fatemifar G, Fox C, Furey TS, Franke L, Han J,
    Hunter DJ, Karjalainen J, Karpe F, Kaplan RC, Kooner JS, McCarthy MI, Murabito JM, Morris AP, Bishop JA, North
    KE, Ohlsson C, Ong KK, Prokopenko I, Richards JB, Schadt EE, Spector TD, Widén E, Willer CJ, Yang J, Ingelsson
    E, Mohlke KL, Hirschhorn JN, Pospisilik JA, Zillikens MC, Lindgren C, Kilpeläinen TO, Loos RJ. New loci for body
    fat percentage reveal link between adiposity and cardiometabolic disease risk. Nat Commun. 2016 Feb 1;7:10495. doi:
    10.1038/ncomms10495. PubMed PMID: 26833246; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4740398.
  15. Kilpeläinen TO, Carli JF, Skowronski AA, Sun Q, Kriebel J, Feitosa MF, Hedman ÅK, Drong AW, Hayes JE, Zhao J, Pers TH, Schick U, Grarup N, Kutalik Z, Trompet S, Mangino M, Kristiansson K, Beekman M, Lyytikäinen LP, Eriksson J, Henneman P, Lahti J, Tanaka T, Luan J, Del Greco M F, Pasko D, Renström F, Willems SM, Mahajan A, Rose LM, Guo X, Liu Y, Kleber ME, Pérusse L, Gaunt T, Ahluwalia TS, Ju Sung Y, Ramos YF, Amin N, Amuzu A, Barroso I, Bellis C, Blangero J, Buckley BM, Böhringer S, I Chen YD, de Craen AJ, Crosslin DR, Dale CE, Dastani Z, Day FR, Deelen J, Delgado GE, Demirkan A, Finucane FM, Ford I, Garcia ME, Gieger C, Gustafsson S, Hallmans G, Hankinson SE, Havulinna AS, Herder C, Hernandez D, Hicks AA, Hunter DJ, Illig T, Ingelsson E, Ioan-Facsinay A, Jansson JO, Jenny NS, Jørgensen ME, Jørgensen T, Karlsson M, Koenig W, Kraft P, Kwekkeboom J, Laatikainen T, Ladwig KH, LeDuc CA, Lowe G, Lu Y, Marques-Vidal P, Meisinger C, Menni C, Morris AP, Myers RH, Männistö S, Nalls MA, Paternoster L, Peters A, Pradhan AD, Rankinen T, Rasmussen-Torvik LJ, Rathmann W, Rice TK, Brent Richards J, Ridker PM, Sattar N, Savage DB, Söderberg S, Timpson NJ, Vandenput L, van Heemst D, Uh HW, Vohl MC, Walker M, Wichmann HE, Widén E, Wood AR, Yao J, Zeller T, Zhang Y, Meulenbelt I, Kloppenburg M, Astrup A, Sørensen TI, Sarzynski MA, Rao DC, Jousilahti P, Vartiainen E, Hofman A, Rivadeneira F, Uitterlinden AG, Kajantie E, Osmond C, Palotie A, Eriksson JG, Heliövaara M, Knekt PB, Koskinen S, Jula A, Perola M, Huupponen RK, Viikari JS, Kähönen M, Lehtimäki T, Raitakari OT, Mellström D, Lorentzon M, Casas JP, Bandinelli S, März W, Isaacs A, van Dijk KW, van Duijn CM, Harris TB, Bouchard C, Allison MA, Chasman DI, Ohlsson C, Lind L, Scott RA, Langenberg C, Wareham NJ, Ferrucci L, Frayling TM, Pramstaller PP, Borecki IB, Waterworth DM, Bergmann S, Waeber G, Vollenweider P, Vestergaard H, Hansen T, Pedersen O, Hu FB, Eline Slagboom P, Grallert H, Spector TD, Jukema JW, Klein RJ, Schadt EE, Franks PW, Lindgren CM, Leibel RL, Loos RJ. Genome-wide meta-analysis uncovers novel loci influencing circulating leptin levels. Nat Commun. 2016 Feb 1;7:10494. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10494. PubMed PMID: 26833098; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4740377.
  16. Fritsche LG, Igl W, Bailey JN, Grassmann F, Sengupta S, Bragg-Gresham JL, Burdon KP, Hebbring SJ, Wen C, Gorski M, Kim IK, Cho D, Zack D, Souied E, Scholl HP, Bala E, Lee KE, Hunter DJ, Sardell RJ, Mitchell P, Merriam JE, Cipriani V, Hoffman JD, Schick T, Lechanteur YT, Guymer RH, Johnson MP, Jiang Y, Stanton CM, Buitendijk GH, Zhan X, Kwong AM, Boleda A, Brooks M, Gieser L, Ratnapriya R, Branham KE, Foerster JR, Heckenlively JR, Othman MI, Vote BJ, Liang HH, Souzeau E, McAllister IL, Isaacs T, Hall J, Lake S, Mackey DA, Constable IJ, Craig JE, Kitchner TE, Yang Z, Su Z, Luo H, Chen D, Ouyang H, Flagg K, Lin D, Mao G, Ferreyra H, Stark K, von Strachwitz CN, Wolf A, Brandl C, Rudolph G, Olden M, Morrison MA, Morgan DJ, Schu M, Ahn J, Silvestri G, Tsironi EE, Park KH, Farrer LA, Orlin A, Brucker A, Li M, Curcio CA, Mohand-Saïd S, Sahel JA, Audo I, Benchaboune M, Cree AJ, Rennie CA, Goverdhan SV, Grunin M, Hagbi-Levi S, Campochiaro P, Katsanis N, Holz FG, Blond F, Blanché H, Deleuze JF, Igo RP Jr, Truitt B, Peachey NS, Meuer SM, Myers CE, Moore EL, Klein R, Hauser MA, Postel EA, Courtenay MD, Schwartz SG, Kovach JL, Scott WK, Liew G, Tan AG, Gopinath B, Merriam JC, Smith RT, Khan JC, Shahid H, Moore AT, McGrath JA, Laux R, Brantley MA Jr, Agarwal A, Ersoy L, Caramoy A, Langmann T, Saksens NT, de Jong EK, Hoyng CB, Cain MS, Richardson AJ, Martin TM, Blangero J, Weeks DE, Dhillon B, van Duijn CM, Doheny KF, Romm J, Klaver CC, Hayward C, Gorin MB, Klein ML, Baird PN, den Hollander AI, Fauser S, Yates JR, Allikmets R, Wang JJ, Schaumberg DA, Klein BE, Hagstrom SA, Chowers I, Lotery AJ, Léveillard T, Zhang K, Brilliant MH, Hewitt AW, Swaroop A, Chew EY, Pericak-Vance MA, DeAngelis M, Stambolian D, Haines JL, Iyengar SK, Weber BH, Abecasis GR, Heid IM. A large genome-wide association study of age-related macular degeneration highlights contributions of rare and common variants. Nat Genet. 2016 Feb;48(2):134-43. doi: 10.1038/ng.3448. Epub 2015 Dec 21. PubMed PMID: 26691988; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4745342.
  17. Zhou Y, Zhu G, Charlesworth JC, Simpson S Jr, Rubicz R, Göring HH, Patsopoulos NA, Laverty C, Wu F, Henders A, Ellis JJ, van der Mei I, Montgomery GW, Blangero J, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Martin NG, Nyholt DR, Taylor BV; ANZgene consortium. Genetic loci for Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-1 are associated with risk of multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler. 2016 Jan 27. pii: 1352458515626598. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26819262.
  18. Williams KD, Subedi J, Jha B, Blangero J, Williams-Blangero S, Towne B. Quantitative physical activity assessment of children and adolescents in a rural population from Eastern Nepal. Am J Hum Biol. 2016 Jan-Feb;28(1):129-37. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.22762. Epub 2015 Jul 16. PubMed PMID: 26179444.
  19. Clark MM, Blangero J, Dyer TD, Sobel EM, Sinsheimer JS. The Quantitative-MFG Test: A linear mixed effect model to detect maternal-offspring gene interactions. Ann Hum Genet. 2016 Jan;80(1):63-80. doi: 10.1111/ahg.12137. Epub 2015 Nov 15. PubMed PMID: 26567478; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4715557.
  20. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Neary JL, Cole SA, Kent JW, Kumar S, Glahn DC, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Carless MA. Genome- and epigenome-wide association study of hypertriglyceridemic waist in Mexican American families. Clin Epigenetics. 2016 Jan 20;8:6. doi: 10.1186/s13148-016-0173-x. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 26798409; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4721061.
  21. Li K, Laird AR, Price LR, McKay DR, Blangero J, Glahn DC, Fox PT. Progressive bidirectional age-related changes in default mode network effective connectivity across six decades. Front Aging Neurosci. 2016 Jun 14;8:137. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00137. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27378909; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4905965.
  22. Mathias SR, Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Recurrent major depression and right hippocampal volume: A bivariate linkage and association study. Hum Brain Mapp. 2016 Jan;37(1):191-202. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23025. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26485182.
  23. Mamtani M, Curran JE, Blangero J, Kulkarni H. Association of urinary phthalates with self-reported eye affliction/retinopathy in individuals with diabetes: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2010. J Diabetes Res. 2016;2016:7269896. doi: 10.1155/2016/7269896. Epub 2015 Dec 20. PubMed PMID: 26798652; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4698956.
  24. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.
  25. Kumar S, Curran JE, Glahn DC, Blangero J. Utility of lymphoblastoid cell lines for induced pluripotent stem cell generation. Stem Cells Int. 2016;2016:2349261. doi: 10.1155/2016/2349261. Epub 2016 Jun 7. PubMed PMID: 27375745; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4914736.
  26. Kim YJ, Lee J, Kim BJ; T2D-Genes Consortium, Park T. A new strategy for enhancing imputation quality of rare variants from next-generation sequencing data via combining SNP and exome chip data. BMC Genomics. 2015 Dec 29;16:1109. doi: 10.1186/s12864-015-2192-y. PubMed PMID: 26715385; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4696174.
  27. Poldrack RA, Laumann TO, Koyejo O, Gregory B, Hover A, Chen MY, Gorgolewski KJ, Luci J, Joo SJ, Boyd RL, Hunicke-Smith S, Simpson ZB, Caven T, Sochat V, Shine JM, Gordon E, Snyder AZ, Adeyemo B, Petersen SE, Glahn DC, Reese Mckay D, Curran JE, Göring HH, Carless MA, Blangero J, Dougherty R, Leemans A, Handwerker DA, Frick L, Marcotte EM, Mumford JA. Long-term neural and physiological phenotyping of a single human. Nat Commun. 2015 Dec 9;6:8885. doi: 10.1038/ncomms9885. PubMed PMID: 26648521; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4682164.
  28. Benton MC, Lea RA, Macartney-Coxson D, Bellis C, Carless MA, Curran JE, Hanna M, Eccles D, Chambers GK, Blangero J, Griffiths LR. Serum bilirubin concentration is modified by UGT1A1 haplotypes and influences risk of type-2 diabetes in the Norfolk Island genetic isolate. BMC Genet. 2015 Dec 2;16:136. doi: 10.1186/s12863-015-0291- z. PubMed PMID: 26628212; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4667444.
  29. Sprooten E, Gupta CN, Knowles EE, McKay DR, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Calhoun VD, Blangero J, Turner JA, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant linkage of schizophrenia-related neuroanatomical trait to 12q24. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2015 Dec;168(8):678-86. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32360. Epub 2015 Oct 5. PubMed PMID: 26440917; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4639444.
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Locke AE, Kahali B, Berndt SI, Justice AE, Pers TH, Day FR, Powell C, Vedantam S, Buchkovich ML, Yang J, Croteau-Chonka DC, Esko T, Fall T, Ferreira T, Gustafsson S, Kutalik Z, Luan J, Mägi R, Randall JC, Winkler TW, Wood AR, Workalemahu T, Faul JD, Smith JA, Hua Zhao J, Zhao W, Chen J, Fehrmann R, Hedman ÅK, Karjalainen J, Schmidt EM, Absher D, Amin N, Anderson D, Beekman M, Bolton JL, Bragg-Gresham JL, Buyske S, Demirkan A, Deng G, Ehret GB, Feenstra B, Feitosa MF, Fischer K, Goel A, Gong J, Jackson AU, Kanoni S, Kleber ME, Kristiansson K, Lim U, Lotay V, Mangino M, Mateo Leach I, Medina-Gomez C, Medland SE, Nalls MA, Palmer CD, Pasko D, Pechlivanis S, Peters MJ, Prokopenko I, Shungin D, Stančáková A, Strawbridge RJ, Ju Sung Y, Tanaka T, Teumer A, Trompet S, van der Laan SW, van Setten J, Van Vliet-Ostaptchouk JV, Wang Z, Yengo L, Zhang W, Isaacs A, Albrecht E, Ärnlöv J, Arscott GM, Attwood AP, Bandinelli S, Barrett A, Bas IN, Bellis C, Bennett AJ, Berne C, Blagieva R, Blüher M, Böhringer S, Bonnycastle LL, Böttcher Y, Boyd HA, Bruinenberg M, Caspersen IH, Ida Chen YD, Clarke R, Daw EW, de Craen AJ, Delgado G, Dimitriou M, Doney AS, Eklund N, Estrada K, Eury E, Folkersen L, Fraser RM, Garcia ME, Geller F, Giedraitis V, Gigante B, Go AS, Golay A, Goodall AH, Gordon SD, Gorski M, Grabe HJ, Grallert H, Grammer TB, Gräßler J, Grönberg H, Groves CJ, Gusto G, Haessler J, Hall P, Haller T, Hallmans G, Hartman CA, Hassinen M, Hayward C, Heard-Costa NL, Helmer Q, Hengstenberg C, Holmen O, Hottenga JJ, James AL, Jeff JM, Johansson Å, Jolley J, Juliusdottir T, Kinnunen L, Koenig W, Koskenvuo M, Kratzer W, Laitinen J, Lamina C, Leander K, Lee NR, Lichtner P, Lind L, Lindström J, Sin Lo K, Lobbens S, Lorbeer R, Lu Y, Mach F, Magnusson PK, Mahajan A, McArdle WL, McLachlan S, Menni C, Merger S, Mihailov E, Milani L, Moayyeri A, Monda KL, Morken MA, Mulas A, Müller G, Müller-Nurasyid M, Musk AW, Nagaraja R, Nöthen MM, Nolte IM, Pilz S, Rayner NW, Renstrom F, Rettig R, Ried JS, Ripke S, Robertson NR, Rose LM, Sanna S, Scharnagl H, Scholtens S, Schumacher FR, Scott WR, Seufferlein T, Shi J, Vernon Smith A, Smolonska J, Stanton AV, Steinthorsdottir V, Stirrups K, Stringham HM, Sundström J, Swertz MA, Swift AJ, Syvänen AC, Tan ST, Tayo BO, Thorand B, Thorleifsson G, Tyrer JP, Uh HW, Vandenput L, Verhulst FC, Vermeulen SH, Verweij N, Vonk JM, Waite LL, Warren HR, Waterworth D, Weedon MN, Wilkens LR, Willenborg C, Wilsgaard T, Wojczynski MK, Wong A, Wright AF, Zhang Q; LifeLines Cohort Study, Brennan EP, Choi M, Dastani Z, Drong AW, Eriksson P, Franco-Cereceda A, Gådin JR, Gharavi AG, Goddard ME, Handsaker RE, Huang J, Karpe F, Kathiresan S, Keildson S, Kiryluk K, Kubo M, Lee JY, Liang L, Lifton RP, Ma B, McCarroll SA, McKnight AJ, Min JL, Moffatt MF, Montgomery GW, Murabito JM, Nicholson G, Nyholt DR, Okada Y, Perry JR, Dorajoo R, Reinmaa E, Salem RM, Sandholm N, Scott RA, Stolk L, Takahashi A, Tanaka T, Van't Hooft FM, Vinkhuyzen AA, Westra HJ, Zheng W, Zondervan KT; ADIPOGen Consortium; AGEN-BMI Working Group; CARDIOGRAMplusC4D Consortium; CKDGen Consortium; GLGC; ICBP; MAGIC Investigators; MuTHER Consortium; MIGen Consortium; PAGE Consortium; ReproGen Consortium; GENIE Consortium; International Endogene Consortium, Heath AC, Arveiler D, Bakker SJ, Beilby J, Bergman RN, Blangero J, Bovet P, Campbell H, Caulfield MJ, Cesana G, Chakravarti A, Chasman DI, Chines PS, Collins FS, Crawford DC, Cupples LA, Cusi D, Danesh J, de Faire U, den Ruijter HM, Dominiczak AF, Erbel R, Erdmann J, Eriksson JG, Farrall M, Felix SB, Ferrannini E, Ferrières J, Ford I, Forouhi NG, Forrester T, Franco OH, Gansevoort RT, Gejman PV, Gieger C, Gottesman O, Gudnason V, Gyllensten U, Hall AS, Harris TB, Hattersley AT, Hicks AA, Hindorff LA, Hingorani AD, Hofman A, Homuth G, Hovingh GK, Humphries SE, Hunt SC, Hyppönen E, Illig T, Jacobs KB, Jarvelin MR, Jöckel KH, Johansen B, Jousilahti P, Jukema JW, Jula AM, Kaprio J, Kastelein JJ, Keinanen Kiukaanniemi SM, Kiemeney LA, Knekt P, Kooner JS, Kooperberg C, Kovacs P, Kraja AT, Kumari M, Kuusisto J, Lakka TA, Langenberg C, Le Marchand L, Lehtimäki T, Lyssenko V, Männistö S, Marette A, Matise TC, McKenzie CA, McKnight B, Moll FL, Morris AD, Morris AP, Murray JC, Nelis M, Ohlsson C, Oldehinkel AJ, Ong KK, Madden PA, Pasterkamp G, Peden JF, Peters A, Postma DS, Pramstaller PP, Price JF, Qi L, Raitakari OT, Rankinen T, Rao DC, Rice TK, Ridker PM, Rioux JD, Ritchie MD, Rudan I, Salomaa V, Samani NJ, Saramies J, Sarzynski MA, Schunkert H, Schwarz PE, Sever P, Shuldiner AR, Sinisalo J, Stolk RP, Strauch K, Tönjes A, Trégouët DA, Tremblay A, Tremoli E, Virtamo J, Vohl MC, Völker U, Waeber G, Willemsen G, Witteman JC, Zillikens MC, Adair LS, Amouyel P, Asselbergs FW, Assimes TL, Bochud M, Boehm BO, Boerwinkle E, Bornstein SR, Bottinger EP, Bouchard C, Cauchi S, Chambers JC, Chanock SJ, Cooper RS, de Bakker PI, Dedoussis G, Ferrucci L, Franks PW, Froguel P, Groop LC, Haiman CA, Hamsten A, Hui J, Hunter DJ, Hveem K, Kaplan RC, Kivimaki M, Kuh D, Laakso M, Liu Y, Martin NG, März W, Melbye M, Metspalu A, Moebus S, Munroe PB, Njølstad I, Oostra BA, Palmer CN, Pedersen NL, Perola M, Pérusse L, Peters U, Power C, Quertermous T, Rauramaa R, Rivadeneira F, Saaristo TE, Saleheen D, Sattar N, Schadt EE, Schlessinger D, Slagboom PE, Snieder H, Spector TD, Thorsteinsdottir U, Stumvoll M, Tuomilehto J, Uitterlinden AG, Uusitupa M, van der Harst P, Walker M, Wallaschofski H, Wareham NJ, Watkins H, Weir DR, Wichmann HE, Wilson JF, Zanen P, Borecki IB, Deloukas P, Fox CS, Heid IM, O'Connell JR, Strachan DP, Stefansson K, van Duijn CM, Abecasis GR, Franke L, Frayling TM, McCarthy MI, Visscher PM, Scherag A, Willer CJ, Boehnke M, Mohlke KL, Lindgren CM, Beckmann JS, Barroso I, North KE, Ingelsson E, Hirschhorn JN, Loos RJ, Speliotes EK. Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology. Nature. 2015 Feb 12;518(7538):197-206. doi: 10.1038/nature14177. PubMed PMID: 25673413; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4382211.
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Shungin D, Winkler TW, Croteau-Chonka DC, Ferreira T, Locke AE, Mägi R, Strawbridge RJ, Pers TH, Fischer K, Justice AE, Workalemahu T, Wu JM, Buchkovich ML, Heard-Costa NL, Roman TS, Drong AW, Song C, Gustafsson S, Day FR, Esko T, Fall T, Kutalik Z, Luan J, Randall JC, Scherag A, Vedantam S, Wood AR, Chen J, Fehrmann R, Karjalainen J, Kahali B, Liu CT, Schmidt EM, Absher D, Amin N, Anderson D, Beekman M, Bragg-Gresham JL, Buyske S, Demirkan A, Ehret GB, Feitosa MF, Goel A, Jackson AU, Johnson T, Kleber ME, Kristiansson K, Mangino M, Mateo Leach I, Medina-Gomez C, Palmer CD, Pasko D, Pechlivanis S, Peters MJ, Prokopenko I, Stančáková A, Ju Sung Y, Tanaka T, Teumer A, Van Vliet-Ostaptchouk JV, Yengo L, Zhang W, Albrecht E, Ärnlöv J, Arscott GM, Bandinelli S, Barrett A, Bellis C, Bennett AJ, Berne C, Blüher M, Böhringer S, Bonnet F, Böttcher Y, Bruinenberg M, Carba DB, Caspersen IH, Clarke R, Daw EW, Deelen J, Deelman E, Delgado G, Doney AS, Eklund N, Erdos MR, Estrada K, Eury E, Friedrich N, Garcia ME, Giedraitis V, Gigante B, Go AS, Golay A, Grallert H, Grammer TB, Gräßler J, Grewal J, Groves CJ, Haller T, Hallmans G, Hartman CA, Hassinen M, Hayward C, Heikkilä K, Herzig KH, Helmer Q, Hillege HL, Holmen O, Hunt SC, Isaacs A, Ittermann T, James AL, Johansson I, Juliusdottir T, Kalafati IP, Kinnunen L, Koenig W, Kooner IK, Kratzer W, Lamina C, Leander K, Lee NR, Lichtner P, Lind L, Lindström J, Lobbens S, Lorentzon M, Mach F, Magnusson PK, Mahajan A, McArdle WL, Menni C, Merger S, Mihailov E, Milani L, Mills R, Moayyeri A, Monda KL, Mooijaart SP, Mühleisen TW, Mulas A, Müller G, Müller-Nurasyid M, Nagaraja R, Nalls MA, Narisu N, Glorioso N, Nolte IM, Olden M, Rayner NW, Renstrom F, Ried JS, Robertson NR, Rose LM, Sanna S, Scharnagl H, Scholtens S, Sennblad B, Seufferlein T, Sitlani CM, Vernon Smith A, Stirrups K, Stringham HM, Sundström J, Swertz MA, Swift AJ, Syvänen AC, Tayo BO, Thorand B, Thorleifsson G, Tomaschitz A, Troffa C, van Oort FV, Verweij N, Vonk JM, Waite LL, Wennauer R, Wilsgaard T, Wojczynski MK, Wong A, Zhang Q, Hua Zhao J, Brennan EP, Choi M, Eriksson P, Folkersen L, Franco-Cereceda A, Gharavi AG, Hedman ÅK, Hivert MF, Huang J, Kanoni S, Karpe F, Keildson S, Kiryluk K, Liang L, Lifton RP, Ma B, McKnight AJ, McPherson R, Metspalu A, Min JL, Moffatt MF, Montgomery GW, Murabito JM, Nicholson G, Nyholt DR, Olsson C, Perry JR, Reinmaa E, Salem RM, Sandholm N, Schadt EE, Scott RA, Stolk L, Vallejo EE, Westra HJ, Zondervan KT; ADIPOGen Consortium; CARDIOGRAMplusC4D Consortium; CKDGen Consortium; GEFOS Consortium; GENIE Consortium; GLGC; ICBP; International Endogene Consortium; LifeLines Cohort Study; MAGIC Investigators; MuTHER Consortium; PAGE Consortium; ReproGen Consortium, Amouyel P, Arveiler D, Bakker SJ, Beilby J, Bergman RN, Blangero J, Brown MJ, Burnier M, Campbell H, Chakravarti A, Chines PS, Claudi-Boehm S, Collins FS, Crawford DC, Danesh J, de Faire U, de Geus EJ, Dörr M, Erbel R, Eriksson JG, Farrall M, Ferrannini E, Ferrières J, Forouhi NG, Forrester T, Franco OH, Gansevoort RT, Gieger C, Gudnason V, Haiman CA, Harris TB, Hattersley AT, Heliövaara M, Hicks AA, Hingorani AD, Hoffmann W, Hofman A, Homuth G, Humphries SE, Hyppönen E, Illig T, Jarvelin MR, Johansen B, Jousilahti P, Jula AM, Kaprio J, Kee F, Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi SM, Kooner JS, Kooperberg C, Kovacs P, Kraja AT, Kumari M, Kuulasmaa K, Kuusisto J, Lakka TA, Langenberg C, Le Marchand L, Lehtimäki T, Lyssenko V, Männistö S, Marette A, Matise TC, McKenzie CA, McKnight B, Musk AW, Möhlenkamp S, Morris AD, Nelis M, Ohlsson C, Oldehinkel AJ, Ong KK, Palmer LJ, Penninx BW, Peters A, Pramstaller PP, Raitakari OT, Rankinen T, Rao DC, Rice TK, Ridker PM, Ritchie MD, Rudan I, Salomaa V, Samani NJ, Saramies J, Sarzynski MA, Schwarz PE, Shuldiner AR, Staessen JA, Steinthorsdottir V, Stolk RP, Strauch K, Tönjes A, Tremblay A, Tremoli E, Vohl MC, Völker U, Vollenweider P, Wilson JF, Witteman JC, Adair LS, Bochud M, Boehm BO, Bornstein SR, Bouchard C, Cauchi S, Caulfield MJ, Chambers JC, Chasman DI, Cooper RS, Dedoussis G, Ferrucci L, Froguel P, Grabe HJ, Hamsten A, Hui J, Hveem K, Jöckel KH, Kivimaki M, Kuh D, Laakso M, Liu Y, März W, Munroe PB, Njølstad I, Oostra BA, Palmer CN, Pedersen NL, Perola M, Pérusse L, Peters U, Power C, Quertermous T, Rauramaa R, Rivadeneira F, Saaristo TE, Saleheen D, Sinisalo J, Slagboom PE, Snieder H, Spector TD, Thorsteinsdottir U, Stumvoll M, Tuomilehto J, Uitterlinden AG, Uusitupa M, van der Harst P, Veronesi G, Walker M, Wareham NJ, Watkins H, Wichmann HE, Abecasis GR, Assimes TL, Berndt SI, Boehnke M, Borecki IB, Deloukas P, Franke L, Frayling TM, Groop LC, Hunter DJ, Kaplan RC, O'Connell JR, Qi L, Schlessinger D, Strachan DP, Stefansson K, van Duijn CM, Willer CJ, Visscher PM, Yang J, Hirschhorn JN, Zillikens MC, McCarthy MI, Speliotes EK, North KE, Fox CS, Barroso I, Franks PW, Ingelsson E, Heid IM, Loos RJ, Cupples LA, Morris AP, Lindgren CM, Mohlke KL. New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution. Nature. 2015 Feb 12;518(7538):187-96. doi: 10.1038/nature14132. PubMed PMID: 25673412; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4338562.
  53. Knowles EE, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Sprooten E, Carless MA, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Pleiotropic locus for emotion recognition and amygdala volume identified using univariate and bivariate linkage. Am J Psychiatry. 2015 Feb 1;172(2):190-9. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14030311. Epub 2014 Oct 31. PubMed PMID: 25322361; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4314438.
  54. Toledo RA, Hatakana R, Lourenço DM Jr, Lindsey SC, Camacho CP, Almeida M, Lima JV Jr, Sekiya T, Garralda E, Naslavsky MS, Yamamoto GL, Lazar M, Meirelles O, Sobreira TJ, Lebrao ML, Duarte YA, Blangero J, Zatz M, Cerutti JM, Maciel RM, Toledo SP. Comprehensive assessment of the disputed RET Y791F variant shows no association with medullary thyroid carcinoma susceptibility. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2015 Feb;22(1):65-76. doi: 10.1530/ERC-14-0491. Epub 2014 Nov 25. PubMed PMID: 25425582; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4289937.
  55. Pers TH, Karjalainen JM, Chan Y, Westra HJ, Wood AR, Yang J, Lui JC, Vedantam S, Gustafsson S, Esko T, Frayling T, Speliotes EK; Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits (GIANT) Consortium, Boehnke M, Raychaudhuri S, Fehrmann RS, Hirschhorn JN, Franke L. Biological interpretation of genome-wide association studies using predicted gene functions. Nat Commun. 2015 Jan 19;6:5890. doi: 10.1038/ncomms6890. PubMed PMID: 25597830; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4420238.
  56. Glahn DC, Williams JT, McKay DR, Knowles EE, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Woolsey MD, Winkler AM, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J. Discovering schizophrenia endophenotypes in randomly ascertained pedigrees. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Jan 1;77(1):75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.06.027. Epub 2014 Jul 21. PubMed PMID: 25168609; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4261014.
  57. Ali O, Cerjak D, Kent JW Jr, James R, Blangero J, Carless MA, Zhang Y. An epigenetic map of age-associated autosomal loci in northern European families at high risk for the metabolic syndrome. Clin Epigenetics. 2015 Feb 20;7(1):12. doi: 10.1186/s13148-015-0048-6. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25806089; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4372177.
  58. Spieker EA, Kochunov P, Rowland LM, Sprooten E, Winkler AM, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Blangero J, Glahn DC, Curran JE. Shared genetic variance between obesity and white matter integrity in Mexican Americans. Front Genet. 2015 Feb 13;6:26. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00026. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25763009; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4327744.
  59. Benton MC, Stuart S, Bellis C, Macartney-Coxson D, Eccles D, Curran JE, Chambers G, Blangero J, Lea RA, Griffiths LR. 'Mutiny on the Bounty': the genetic history of Norfolk Island reveals extreme gender-biased admixture. Investig Genet. 2015 Sep 3;6:11. doi: 10.1186/s13323-015-0028-9. eCollection 2015. Erratum in: Investig Genet. 2015;6:12. PubMed PMID: 26339467; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4558825.
  60. Rudkowska I, Pérusse L, Bellis C, Blangero J, Després JP, Bouchard C, Vohl MC. Interaction between common genetic variants and total fat intake on low-density lipoprotein peak particle diameter: A genome-wide association study. J Nutrigenet Nutrigenomics. 2015;8(1):44-53. doi: 10.1159/000431151. Epub 2015 Jun 20. PubMed PMID: 26112879.
  61. Dager AD, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Curran JE, Knowles E, Sprooten E, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Pearlson GD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Lovallo WR, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Shared genetic factors influence amygdala volumes and risk for alcoholism. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015 Jan;40(2):412-20. doi: 10.1038/npp.2014.187. Epub 2014 Jul 31. PubMed PMID: 25079289; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4955.
  62. Blackburn NB, Charlesworth JC, Marthick JR, Tegg EM, Marsden KA, Srikanth V, Blangero J, Lowenthal RM, Foote SJ, Dickinson JL. A retrospective examination of mean relative telomere length in the Tasmanian Familial Hematological Malignancies Study. Oncol Rep. 2015 Jan;33(1):25-32. doi: 10.3892/or.2014.3568. Epub 2014 Oct 24. PubMed PMID: 25351806; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4254675.
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MANUSCRIPT REVIEW:

American Journal of Human Genetics

Biological Psychiatry

Nature Genetics

INTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Director, Genomics Computing Center, STDOI, UTRGV School of Medicine

Interim Director, Neurosciences, UTRGV School of Medicine

Member, Strategic Planning Committee, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Member, Search Committee for Chair, UTRGV School of Medicine Department of Biomedical Sciences

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Genomics and Computational Biology

Member, American Diabetes Association Grant Panel

Member, NIMH Grant Review Committee for RFA “Gene Networks: Solving the Molecular Puzzle of Psychiatric Disorders”

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Menzies Research Institute

University of Pennsylvania

Yale University

National Institute for Mental Health

University of Pittsburgh

University of Costa Rica

University of Tasmania, Australia

University of Edinburgh

University of Western Australia

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
P.I.
(MPI)		 Whole Genome Sequencing to
Identify Causal Genetic
Variants Influencing CVD
Risk		 04/15/2012 -
03/31/2017		 NIH/
NHLBI		 R01
HL113323		 4,825,295
P.I. 2/3: Pedigree-Based Whole
Genome Sequencing of
Affective and Psychotic
Disorders		 03/01/2015 -
02/28/2019		 NIH/
NIMH		 U01
MH105632		 1,930,480
P.I. Gene Networks Influencing
Psychotic Dysconnectivity in
African Americans (Year 01 –
2014; Year 02 - 2015)		 12/10/2014 -
11/30/2019		 NIH/
NIMH
(Yale)		 R01
MH106324		 186,174
P.I.
(MPI)		 Examination of Sequence
Variants in Large Human
Pedigrees to Identify Novel
Genetics Variants Involved in
Cardiac (Patho) Physiology		 11/12/2015 -
11/12/2018		 Eli Lilly Contract 408,728
P.I.
(MPI)		 Discovery of Functional
Variants in Type 2 Diabetes
Genes in Mexican Americans		 05/01/2015 -
04/30/2019		 NIH/
NIDDK		 U01
DK085524		 1,002,506
Co-
Inv.		 Neurodevelopment: Genes,
Environment and their
Interactions		 08/01/2015 -
05/31/2018		 NIH/
NIMH		 R01
MH107248		 ---
Co-
Inv.		 A Neurobehavioral Family
Study of Schizophrenia		 01/01/2015 -
12/31/2018		 NIH/
NIMH		 R01
MH061622		 ---
Co-
Inv.		 A Genetic Study of Blood
Metabolites and Their
Relationship to Diabetes Risk		 09/01/2013 -
06/30/2017		 NIH/
NIDDK		 R01
DK099051		 ---
Co-
Inv.		 Genetic Epidemiology of
Ocular Health and Disease		 06/01/2014 -
05/31/2019		 NIH/NEI R01
EY024384		 ---
Co-
Inv.		 Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes in
Indian Populations: US-India
Collaboration Project		 04/01/2016 -
03/31/2018		 NIH/
NIDDK		 R21
DK105913		 ---

Co-
Inv.
(UTRGV)

 A Joint Linkage/Association
Strategy to Interrogate AMD
Genetic Susceptibility		 09/01/2015 -
08/31/2016		 NIH/NEI
(OHSU)		 R01
EY021532		 ---
Professor, Director, Genomics Computing Center, Department of Human Genetics
Statistical Genetics, Cellular Modeling
Email: john.blangero@utrgv.edu
Brownsville - BBRHB 2.230

Joanne Curran

Professor
Phone: 956-882-7532
Email: joanne.curran@utrgv.edu
Read More

Joanne Curran

EDUCATION:

2002 Ph.D. Molecular Genetics
Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
1998 BH.Sc.(Hons) Molecular Genetics
Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
1997 B.Sc. Applied Biology
Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia

RESEARCH FOCUS: Dr. Curran’s research focuses on identifying and characterizing susceptibility genes for disease conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and related complications in the general population, with the ultimate objective of gaining an insight into the biological pathways involved in disease pathogenesis. Most recently, her research efforts have been directed towards assessment of the human lipidome and its relationship to disease. The human plasma lipidome consists of many thousands of individual lipid species, and Dr. Curran and colleagues have previously measured hundreds of these species in a large study of Mexican American families. Her research results have demonstrated a role for lipid species in hypertension, metabolic syndrome, obesity, prediction of type 2 diabetes development, and cardiovascular disease outcomes. Using these lipids and available whole genome sequencing data, she now is identifying novel genes and functional variants that influence both lipid metabolism and disease development.

BOOK CHAPTER(S): Curran JE, Bellis C, Almasy L, Blangero J. Genomic studies of human populations: Resequencing approaches to the identification of human quantitative loci. Pp. 289-299. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Nicholson AM, Finch NA, Almeida M, Perkerson RB, van Blitterswijk M, Wojtas A, Cenik B, Rotondo S, Inskeep V, Almasy L, Dyer T, Peralta J, Jun G, Wood AR, Frayling TM, Fuchsberger C, Fowler S, Teslovich TM, Manning AK, Kumar S, Curran J, Lehman D, Abecasis G, Duggirala R, Pottier C, Zahir HA, Crook JE, Karydas A, Mitic L, Sun Y, Dickson DW, Bu G, Herz J, Yu G, Miller BL, Ferguson S, Petersen RC, Graff-Radford N, Blangero J, Rademakers R. Prosaposin is a regulator of progranulin levels and oligomerization. Nat Commun. 2016 Jun 30;7:11992. doi: 10.1038/ncomms11992. PubMed PMID: 27356620.
  2. Hodgson K, Almasy L, Knowles EE, Kent JW, Curran JE, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Pearlson GD, Krystal JH, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant loci for addiction and anxiety. Eur Psychiatry. 2016 Jun 15;36:47-54. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.03.004. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27318301.
  3.  Hanson RL, Leti F, Tsinajinnie D, Kobes S, Puppala S, Curran JE, Almasy L, Lehman DM, Blangero J, Duggirala R, DiStefano JK. The Arg59Trp variant in ANGPTL8 (betatrophin) is associated with total and HDL-cholesterol in American Indians and Mexican Americans and differentially affects cleavage of ANGPTL3. Mol Genet Metab. 2016 Jun;118(2):128-37. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2016.04.007. Epub 2016 Apr 19. PubMed PMID: 27117576; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4880492.
  4. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Wong G, Weir JM, Barlow CK, Dyer TD, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Glahn DC, Magliano DJ, Zimmet P, Shaw J, Williams-Blangero S, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Meikle PJ, Curran JE. Lipidomic risk score independently and cost-effectively predicts risk of future type 2 diabetes: Results from diverse cohorts. Lipids Health Dis. 2016 Apr 4;15(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0234-3. PubMed PMID: 27044508; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4820916.
  5. Chittoor G, Kent JW Jr, Almeida M, Puppala S, Farook VS, Cole SA, Haack K, Göring HH, MacCluer JW, Curran JE, Carless MA, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Lehman DM, Duggirala R, Comuzzie AG, Blangero J, Voruganti VS. GWAS and transcriptional analysis prioritize ITPR1 and CNTN4 for a serum uric acid 3p26 QTL in Mexican Americans. BMC Genomics. 2016 Apr 2;17(1):276. doi: 10.1186/s12864-016-2594-5. PubMed PMID: 27039371; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4818944.
  6. Sung YJ, Pérusse L, Sarzynski MA, Fornage M, Sidney S, Sternfeld B, Rice T, Terry JG, Jacobs DR Jr, Katzmarzyk P, Curran JE, Jeffrey Carr J, Blangero J, Ghosh S, Després JP, Rankinen T, Rao DC, Bouchard C. Genome-wide association studies suggest sex-specific loci associated with abdominal and visceral fat. Int J Obes (Lond). 2016 Apr;40(4):662-74. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2015.217. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26480920; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4821694.
  7. Franke B, Stein JL, Ripke S, Anttila V, Hibar DP, van Hulzen KJ, Arias-Vasquez A, Smoller JW, Nichols TE, Neale MC, McIntosh AM, Lee P, McMahon FJ, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Mattheisen M, Andreassen OA, Gruber O, Sachdev PS, Roiz-Santiañez R, Saykin AJ, Ehrlich S, Mather KA, Turner JA, Schwarz E, Thalamuthu A, Yao Y, Ho YY, Martin NG, Wright MJ; Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium; Psychosis Endophenotypes International Consortium; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2; Enigma Consortium, O'Donovan MC, Thompson PM, Neale BM, Medland SE, Sullivan PF. Genetic influences on schizophrenia and subcortical brain volumes: Large-scale proof of concept. Nat Neurosci. 2016 Mar;19(3):420-31. doi: 10.1038/nn.4228. Epub 2016 Feb 1. PubMed PMID: 26854805; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4852730.
  8. Kos MZ, Carless MA, Peralta J, Blackburn A, Almeida M, Roalf D, Pogue-Geile MF, Prasad K, Gur RC, Nimgaonkar V, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Glahn DC, Blangero J, Gur RE, Almasy L. Exome sequence data from multigenerational families implicate AMPA receptor trafficking in neurocognitive impairment and schizophrenia risk. Schizophr Bull. 2016 Mar;42(2):288-300. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbv135. Epub 2015 Sep 24. PubMed PMID: 26405221; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4753604.
  9. Yerges-Armstrong LM, Chai S, O'Connell JR, Curran JE, Blangero J, Mitchell BD, Shuldiner AR, Damcott CM. Gene expression differences between offspring of long-lived individuals and controls in candidate longevity regions: Evidence for PAPSS2 as a longevity gene. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2016 Feb 19. pii: glv212. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26896383.
  10. Traurig M, Hanson RL, Marinelarena A, Kobes S, Piaggi P, Cole S, Curran JE, Blangero J, Göring H, Kumar S, Nelson RG, Howard BV, Knowler WC, Baier LJ, Bogardus C. Analysis of SLC16A11 variants in 12,811 American Indians: Genotype-obesity interaction for Type 2 diabetes and an association with RNASEK expression. Diabetes. 2016 Feb;65(2):510-9. doi: 10.2337/db15-0571. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26487785; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4747458.
  11. Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide linkage on chromosome 10q26 for a dimensional scale of major depression. J Affect Disord. 2016 Feb;191:123-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.11.012. Epub 2015 Nov 17. PubMed PMID: 26655122; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4715913.
  12. Lu Y, Day FR, Gustafsson S, Buchkovich ML, Na J, Bataille V, Cousminer DL, Dastani Z, Drong AW, Esko T, Evans DM, Falchi M, Feitosa MF, Ferreira T, Hedman ÅK, Haring R, Hysi PG, Iles MM, Justice AE, Kanoni S, Lagou V, Li R, Li X, Locke A, Lu C, Mägi R, Perry JR, Pers TH, Qi Q, Sanna M, Schmidt EM, Scott WR, Shungin D, Teumer A, Vinkhuyzen AA, Walker RW, Westra HJ, Zhang M, Zhang W, Zhao JH, Zhu Z, Afzal U, Ahluwalia TS, Bakker SJ, Bellis C, Bonnefond A, Borodulin K, Buchman AS, Cederholm T, Choh AC, Choi HJ, Curran JE, de Groot LC, De Jager PL, Dhonukshe-Rutten RA, Enneman AW, Eury E, Evans DS, Forsen T, Friedrich N, Fumeron F, Garcia ME, Gärtner S, Han BG, Havulinna AS, Hayward C, Hernandez D, Hillege H, Ittermann T, Kent JW, Kolcic I, Laatikainen T, Lahti J, Mateo Leach I, Lee CG, Lee JY, Liu T, Liu Y, Lobbens S, Loh M, Lyytikäinen LP, Medina- Gomez C, Michaëlsson K, Nalls MA, Nielson CM, Oozageer L, Pascoe L, Paternoster L, Polašek O, Ripatti S, Sarzynski MA, Shin CS, Narančić NS, Spira D, Srikanth P, Steinhagen-Thiessen E, Sung YJ, Swart KM, Taittonen L, Tanaka T, Tikkanen E, van der Velde N, van Schoor NM, Verweij N, Wright AF, Yu L, Zmuda JM, Eklund N, Forrester T, Grarup N, Jackson AU, Kristiansson K, Kuulasmaa T, Kuusisto J, Lichtner P, Luan J, Mahajan A, Männistö S, Palmer CD, Ried JS, Scott RA, Stancáková A, Wagner PJ, Demirkan A, Döring A, Gudnason V, Kiel DP, Kühnel B, Mangino M, Mcknight B, Menni C, O'Connell JR, Oostra BA, Shuldiner AR, Song K, Vandenput L, van Duijn CM, Vollenweider P, White CC, Boehnke M, Boettcher Y, Cooper RS, Forouhi NG, Gieger C, Grallert H, Hingorani A, Jørgensen T, Jousilahti P, Kivimaki M, Kumari M, Laakso M, Langenberg C, Linneberg A, Luke A, Mckenzie CA, Palotie A, Pedersen O, Peters A, Strauch K, Tayo BO, Wareham NJ, Bennett DA, Bertram L, Blangero J, Blüher M, Bouchard C, Campbell H, Cho NH, Cummings SR, Czerwinski SA, Demuth I, Eckardt R, Eriksson JG, Ferrucci L, Franco OH, Froguel P, Gansevoort RT, Hansen T, Harris TB, Hastie N, Heliövaara M, Hofman A, Jordan JM, Jula A, Kähönen M, Kajantie E, Knekt PB, Koskinen S, Kovacs P, Lehtimäki T, Lind L, Liu Y, Orwoll ES, Osmond C, Perola M, Pérusse L, Raitakari OT, Rankinen T, Rao DC, Rice TK, Rivadeneira F, Rudan I, Salomaa V, Sørensen TI, Stumvoll M, Tönjes A, Towne B, Tranah GJ, Tremblay A, Uitterlinden AG, van der Harst P, Vartiainen E, Viikari JS, Vitart V, Vohl MC, Völzke H, Walker M, Wallaschofski H, Wild S, Wilson JF, Yengo L, Bishop DT, Borecki IB, Chambers JC, Cupples LA, Dehghan A, Deloukas P, Fatemifar G, Fox C, Furey TS, Franke L, Han J, Hunter DJ, Karjalainen J, Karpe F, Kaplan RC, Kooner JS, McCarthy MI, Murabito JM, Morris AP, Bishop JA, North KE, Ohlsson C, Ong KK, Prokopenko I, Richards JB, Schadt EE, Spector TD, Widén E, Willer CJ, Yang J, Ingelsson E, Mohlke KL, Hirschhorn JN, Pospisilik JA, Zillikens MC, Lindgren C, Kilpeläinen TO, Loos RJ. New loci for body fat percentage reveal link between adiposity and cardiometabolic disease risk. Nat Commun. 2016 Feb 1;7:10495. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10495. PubMed PMID: 26833246; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4740398.
  13. Zhou Y, Zhu G, Charlesworth JC, Simpson S Jr, Rubicz R, Göring HH, Patsopoulos NA, Laverty C, Wu F, Henders A, Ellis JJ, van der Mei I, Montgomery GW, Blangero J, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Martin NG, Nyholt DR, Taylor BV; ANZgene consortium. Genetic loci for Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-1 are associated with risk of multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler. 2016 Jan 27. pii: 1352458515626598. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26819262.
  14. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Neary JL, Cole SA, Kent JW, Kumar S, Glahn DC, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Carless MA. Genome- and epigenome-wide association study of hypertriglyceridemic waist in Mexican American families. Clin Epigenetics. 2016 Jan 20;8:6. doi: 10.1186/s13148-016-0173-x. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 26798409; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4721061.
  15. Mathias SR, Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Recurrent major depression and right hippocampal volume: A bivariate linkage and association study. Hum Brain Mapp. 2016 Jan;37(1):191-202. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23025. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26485182.
  16. Mamtani M, Curran JE, Blangero J, Kulkarni H. Association of urinary phthalates with self-reported eye affliction/retinopathy in individuals with diabetes: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2010. J Diabetes Res. 2016;2016:7269896. doi: 10.1155/2016/7269896. Epub 2015 Dec 20. PubMed PMID: 26798652; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4698956.
  17. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.
  18. Kumar S, Curran JE, Glahn DC, Blangero J. Utility of lymphoblastoid cell lines for induced pluripotent stem cell generation. Stem Cells Int. 2016;2016:2349261. doi: 10.1155/2016/2349261. Epub 2016 Jun 7. PubMed PMID: 27375745; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4914736.
  19. Poldrack RA, Laumann TO, Koyejo O, Gregory B, Hover A, Chen MY, Gorgolewski KJ, Luci J, Joo SJ, Boyd RL, Hunicke-Smith S, Simpson ZB, Caven T, Sochat V, Shine JM, Gordon E, Snyder AZ, Adeyemo B, Petersen SE, Glahn DC, Reese Mckay D, Curran JE, Göring HH, Carless MA, Blangero J, Dougherty R, Leemans A, Handwerker DA, Frick L, Marcotte EM, Mumford JA. Long-term neural and physiological phenotyping of a single human. Nat Commun. 2015 Dec 9;6:8885. doi :10.1038/ncomms9885. PubMed PMID: 26648521; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4682164.
  20. Benton MC, Lea RA, Macartney-Coxson D, Bellis C, Carless MA, Curran JE, Hanna M, Eccles D, Chambers GK, Blangero J, Griffiths LR. Serum bilirubin concentration is modified by UGT1A1 haplotypes and influences risk of type-2 diabetes in the Norfolk Island genetic isolate. BMC Genet. 2015 Dec 2;16:136. doi: 10.1186/s12863-015-0291- z. PubMed PMID: 26628212; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4667444.
  21. Sprooten E, Gupta CN, Knowles EE, McKay DR, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Calhoun VD, Blangero J, Turner JA, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant linkage of schizophrenia-related neuroanatomical trait to 12q24. Am J Med GenetB Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2015 Dec;168(8):678-86. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32360. Epub 2015 Oct 5. PubMed PMID: 26440917; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4639444.
  22. Arya R, Del Rincon I, Farook VS, Restrepo JF, Winnier DA, Fourcaudot MJ, Battafarano DF, Almeida M, Kumar S, Curran JE, Jenkinson CP, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Escalante A. Genetic variants influencing joint damage in Mexican Americans and European Americans with rheumatoid arthritis. Genet Epidemiol. 2015 Dec;39(8):678-88. doi: 10.1002/gepi.21938. Epub 2015 Oct 26. PubMed PMID: 26498133.
  23. Meikle PJ, Wong G, Tan R, Giral P, Robillard P, Orsoni A, Hounslow N, Magliano DJ, Shaw JE, Curran JE, Blangero J, Kingwell BA, Chapman MJ. Statin action favors normalization of the plasma lipidome in the atherogenic mixed dyslipidemia of MetS: Potential relevance to statin-associated dysglycemia. J Lipid Res. 2015 Dec;56(12):2381-92. doi: 10.1194/jlr.P061143. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26486974; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4655992.
  24. Rubicz R, Yolken R, Drigalenko E, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kent J Jr, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Cole SA, Fowler SP, Arya R, Puppala S, Almasy L, Moses EK, Kraig E, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Leach CT, Göring HH. Genome-wide genetic investigation of serological measures of common infections. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Nov;23(11):1544-8. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.24. Epub 2015 Mar 11. PubMed PMID: 25758998; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4613484.
  25. Peters MJ, Joehanes R, Pilling LC, Schurmann C, Conneely KN, Powell J, Reinmaa E, Sutphin GL, Zhernakova A, Schramm K, Wilson YA, Kobes S, Tukiainen T; NABEC/UKBEC Consortium, Ramos YF, Göring HH, Fornage M, Liu Y, Gharib SA, Stranger BE, De Jager PL, Aviv A, Levy D, Murabito JM, Munson PJ, Huan T, Hofman A, Uitterlinden AG, Rivadeneira F, van Rooij J, Stolk L, Broer L, Verbiest MM, Jhamai M, Arp P, Metspalu A, Tserel L, Milani L, Samani NJ, Peterson P, Kasela S, Codd V, Peters A, Ward-Caviness CK, Herder C, Waldenberger M, Roden M, Singmann P, Zeilinger S, Illig T, Homuth G, Grabe HJ, Völzke H, Steil L, Kocher T, Murray A, Melzer D, Yaghootkar H, Bandinelli S, Moses EK, Kent JW, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Williams-Blangero S, Westra HJ, McRae AF, Smith JA, Kardia SL, Hovatta I, Perola M, Ripatti S, Salomaa V, Henders AK, Martin NG, Smith AK, Mehta D, Binder EB, Nylocks KM, Kennedy EM, Klengel T, Ding J, Suchy-Dicey AM, Enquobahrie DA, Brody J, Rotter JI, Chen YD, Houwing-Duistermaat J, Kloppenburg M, Slagboom PE, Helmer Q, den Hollander W, Bean S, Raj T, Bakhshi N, Wang QP, Oyston LJ, Psaty BM, Tracy RP, Montgomery GW, Turner ST, Blangero J, Meulenbelt I, Ressler KJ, Yang J, Franke L, Kettunen J, Visscher PM, Neely GG, Korstanje R, Hanson RL, Prokisch H, Ferrucci L, Esko T, Teumer A, van Meurs JB, Johnson AD. The transcriptional landscape of age in human peripheral blood. Nat Commun. 2015 Oct 22;6:8570. doi: 10.1038/ncomms9570. PubMed PMID: 26490707; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4639797.
  26. Rodriguez-Acevedo AJ, Ferreira MA, Benton MC, Carless MA, Göring HH, Curran JE, Blangero J, Lea RA, Griffiths LR. Common polygenic variation contributes to risk of migraine in the Norfolk Island population. Hum Genet. 2015 Oct;134(10):1079-87. doi: 10.1007/s00439-015-1587-9. Epub 2015 Jul 29. PubMed PMID: 26220684.
  27. Benton MC, Lea RA, Macartney-Coxson D, Hanna M, Eccles DA, Carless MA, Chambers GK, Bellis C, Göring HH, Curran JE, Harper JL, Gibson G, Blangero J, Griffiths LR. A phenomic scan of the Norfolk Island genetic isolate identifies a major pleiotropic effect locus associated with metabolic and renal disorder markers. PLoS Genet. 2015 Oct 16;11(10):e1005593. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005593. eCollection 2015 Oct. PubMed PMID: 26474483; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4608754.
  28. Kulkarni H, Kos MZ, Neary J, Dyer TD, Kent JW Jr, Göring HH, Cole SA, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Curran JE, Blangero J, Carless MA. Novel epigenetic determinants of type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Sep 15;24(18):5330-44. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv232. Epub 2015 Jun 22. PubMed PMID: 26101197; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4550817.
  29. Blackburn A, Almeida M, Dean A, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Abraham LJ, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kumar S, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie A, Williams-Blangero S, Blangero J, Lehman DM, Göring HH. Effects of copy number variable regions on local gene expression in white blood cells of Mexican Americans. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Sep;23(9):1229-35. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.280. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PubMed PMID: 25585699; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4538210.
  30. Farook VS, Reddivari L, Chittoor G, Puppala S, Arya R, Fowler SP, Hunt KJ, Curran JE, Comuzzie AG, Lehman DM, Jenkinson CP, Lynch JL, DeFronzo RA, Blangero J, Hale DE, Duggirala R, Vanamala J. Metabolites as novel biomarkers for childhood obesity-related traits in Mexican American children. Pediatr Obes. 2015 Aug;10(4):320-7. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.270. Epub 2014 Nov 18. PubMed PMID: 25405847; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4436034.
  31. Kochunov P, Jahanshad N, Marcus D, Winkler A, Sprooten E, Nichols TE, Wright SN, Hong LE, Patel B, Behrens T, Jbabdi S, Andersson J, Lenglet C, Yacoub E, Moeller S, Auerbach E, Ugurbil K, Sotiropoulos SN, Brouwer RM, Landman B, Lemaitre H, den Braber A, Zwiers MP, Ritchie S, van Hulzen K, Almasy L, Curran J, deZubicaray GI, Duggirala R, Fox P, Martin NG, McMahon KL, Mitchell B, Olvera RL, Peterson C, Starr J, Sussmann J, Wardlaw J, Wright M, Boomsma DI, Kahn R, de Geus EJ, Williamson DE, Hariri A, van 't Ent D, Bastin ME, McIntosh A, Deary IJ, Hulshoff Pol HE, Blangero J, Thompson PM, Glahn DC, Van Essen DC. Heritability of fractional anisotropy in human white matter: a comparison of Human Connectome Project and ENIGMA-DTI data. Neuroimage. 2015 May 1;111:300-11. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.02.050. Epub 2015 Mar 4. PubMed PMID: 25747917; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4387079.
  32. Hibar DP, Stein JL, Renteria ME, Arias-Vasquez A, Desrivières S, Jahanshad N, Toro R, Wittfeld K, Abramovic L, Andersson M, Aribisala BS, Armstrong NJ, Bernard M, Bohlken MM, Boks MP, Bralten J, Brown AA, Chakravarty MM, Chen Q, Ching CR, Cuellar-Partida G, den Braber A, Giddaluru S, Goldman AL, Grimm O, Guadalupe T, Hass J, Woldehawariat G, Holmes AJ, Hoogman M, Janowitz D, Jia T, Kim S, Klein M, Kraemer B, Lee PH, Olde Loohuis LM, Luciano M, Macare C, Mather KA, Mattheisen M, Milaneschi Y, Nho K, Papmeyer M, Ramasamy A, Risacher SL, Roiz-Santiañez R, Rose EJ, Salami A, Sämann PG, Schmaal L, Schork AJ, Shin J, Strike LT, Teumer A, van Donkelaar MM, van Eijk KR, Walters RK, Westlye LT, Whelan CD, Winkler AM, Zwiers MP, Alhusaini S, Athanasiu L, Ehrlich S, Hakobjan MM, Hartberg CB, Haukvik UK, Heister AJ, Hoehn D, Kasperaviciute D, Liewald DC, Lopez LM, Makkinje RR, Matarin M, Naber MA, McKay DR, Needham M, Nugent AC, Pütz B, Royle NA, Shen L, Sprooten E, Trabzuni D, van der Marel SS, van Hulzen KJ, Walton E, Wolf C, Almasy L, Ames D, Arepalli S, Assareh AA, Bastin ME, Brodaty H, Bulayeva KB, Carless MA, Cichon S, Corvin A, Curran JE, Czisch M, de Zubicaray GI, Dillman A, Duggirala R, Dyer TD, Erk S, Fedko IO, Ferrucci L, Foroud TM, Fox PT, Fukunaga M, Gibbs JR, Göring HH, Green RC, Guelfi S, Hansell NK, Hartman CA, Hegenscheid K, Heinz A, Hernandez DG, Heslenfeld DJ, Hoekstra PJ, Holsboer F, Homuth G, Hottenga JJ, Ikeda M, Jack CR Jr, Jenkinson M, Johnson R, Kanai R, Keil M, Kent JW Jr, Kochunov P, Kwok JB, Lawrie SM, Liu X, Longo DL, McMahon KL, Meisenzahl E, Melle I, Mohnke S, Montgomery GW, Mostert JC, Mühleisen TW, Nalls MA, Nichols TE, Nilsson LG, Nöthen MM, Ohi K, Olvera RL, Perez-Iglesias R, Pike GB, Potkin SG, Reinvang I, Reppermund S, Rietschel M, Romanczuk-Seiferth N, Rosen GD, Rujescu D, Schnell K, Schofield PR, Smith C, Steen VM, Sussmann JE, Thalamuthu A, Toga AW, Traynor BJ, Troncoso J, Turner JA, Valdés Hernández MC, van 't Ent D, van der Brug M, van der Wee NJ, van Tol MJ, Veltman DJ, Wassink TH, Westman E, Zielke RH, Zonderman AB, Ashbrook DG, Hager R, Lu L, McMahon FJ, Morris DW, Williams RW, Brunner HG, Buckner RL, Buitelaar JK, Cahn W, Calhoun VD, Cavalleri GL, Crespo-Facorro B, Dale AM, Davies GE, Delanty N, Depondt C, Djurovic S, Drevets WC, Espeseth T, Gollub RL, Ho BC, Hoffmann W, Hosten N, Kahn RS, Le Hellard S, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Müller-Myhsok B, Nauck M, Nyberg L, Pandolfo M, Penninx BW, Roffman JL, Sisodiya SM, Smoller JW, van Bokhoven H, van Haren NE, Völzke H, Walter H, Weiner MW, Wen W, White T, Agartz I, Andreassen OA, Blangero J, Boomsma DI, Brouwer RM, Cannon DM, Cookson MR, de Geus EJ, Deary IJ, Donohoe G, Fernández G, Fisher SE, Francks C, Glahn DC, Grabe HJ, Gruber O, Hardy J, Hashimoto R, Hulshoff Pol HE, Jönsson EG, Kloszewska I, Lovestone S, Mattay VS, Mecocci P, McDonald C, McIntosh AM, Ophoff RA, Paus T, Pausova Z, Ryten M, Sachdev PS, Saykin AJ, Simmons A, Singleton A, Soininen H, Wardlaw JM, Weale ME, Weinberger DR, Adams HH, Launer LJ, Seiler S, Schmidt R, Chauhan G, Satizabal CL, Becker JT, Yanek L, van der Lee SJ, Ebling M, Fischl B, Longstreth WT Jr, Greve D, Schmidt H, Nyquist P, Vinke LN, van Duijn CM, Xue L, Mazoyer B, Bis JC, Gudnason V, Seshadri S, Ikram MA; Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; CHARGE Consortium; EPIGEN; IMAGEN; SYS, Martin NG, Wright MJ, Schumann G, Franke B, Thompson PM, Medland SE. Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures. Nature. 2015 Apr 9;520(7546):224-9. doi: 10.1038/nature14101. Epub 2015 Jan 21. PubMed PMID: 25607358; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4393366.
  33. Williams AL, Genovese G, Dyer T, Altemose N, Truax K, Jun G, Patterson N, Myers SR, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Reich D, Przeworski M; T2D-GENES Consortium. Non-crossover gene conversions show strong GC bias and unexpected clustering in humans. Elife. 2015 Mar 25;4. doi: 10.7554/eLife.04637. PubMed PMID: 25806687; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4404656.
  34. Wood AR, Tuke MA, Nalls M, Hernandez D, Gibbs JR, Lin H, Xu CS, Li Q, Shen J, Jun G, Almeida M, Tanaka T, Perry JR, Gaulton K, Rivas M, Pearson R, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Göring HH, Duggirala R, Blangero J, McCarthy MI, Bandinelli S, Murray A, Weedon MN, Singleton A, Melzer D, Ferrucci L, Frayling TM. Whole-genome sequencing to understand the genetic architecture of common gene expression and biomarker phenotypes. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Mar 1;24(5):1504-12. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddu560. Epub 2014 Nov 6. PubMed PMID: 25378555; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4321449.
  35. Knowles EE, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Sprooten E, Carless MA, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Pleiotropic locus for emotion recognition and amygdala volume identified using univariate and bivariate linkage. Am J Psychiatry. 2015 Feb 1;172(2):190-9. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14030311. Epub 2014 Oct 31. PubMed PMID: 25322361; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4314438.
  36. Glahn DC, Williams JT, McKay DR, Knowles EE, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Woolsey MD, Winkler AM, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J. Discovering schizophrenia endophenotypes in randomly ascertained pedigrees. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Jan 1;77(1):75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.06.027. Epub 2014 Jul 21. PubMed PMID: 25168609; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4261014.
  37. Spieker EA, Kochunov P, Rowland LM, Sprooten E, Winkler AM, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Blangero J, Glahn DC, Curran JE. Shared genetic variance between obesity and white matter integrity in Mexican Americans. Front Genet. 2015 Feb 13;6:26. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00026. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25763009; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4327744.
  38. Benton MC, Stuart S, Bellis C, Macartney-Coxson D, Eccles D, Curran JE, Chambers G, Blangero J, Lea RA, Griffiths LR. 'Mutiny on the Bounty': The genetic history of Norfolk Island reveals extreme gender-biased admixture. Investig Genet. 2015 Sep 3;6:11. doi: 10.1186/s13323-015-0028-9. eCollection 2015. Erratum in: Investig Genet. 2015;6:12. PubMed PMID: 26339467; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4558825.
  39. Dager AD, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Curran JE, Knowles E, Sprooten E, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Pearlson GD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Lovallo WR, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Shared genetic factors influence amygdala volumes and risk for alcoholism. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015 Jan;40(2):412-20. doi: 10.1038/npp.2014.187. Epub 2014 Jul 31. PubMed PMID: 25079289; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4443955.
  40. Curran JE, Kumar S, Cromack DT, Hu SL, Coletta DK, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). (2015) World Biomedical Frontiers, Diabetes and Obesity Section ISSN; published online. ISSN: 2328-0166. http://biomedfrontiers.org/diabetes-obesity-2015-9-11/
  41. Winnier DA, Fourcaudot M, Norton L, Abdul-Ghani MA, Hu SL, Farook VS, Coletta DK, Kumar S, Puppala S, Chittoor G, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Lehman DM, Curran JE, Cromack DT, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). PLoS One. 2015 Apr 1;10(4):e0119941. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119941. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25830378; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4382323.

INTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Admissions Committee, UTRGV School of Medicine, Discipline Coordinator for Genetics, Central Curriculum Authority Committee, UTRGV School of Medicine

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, NIH-NIDDK Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases B Committee (2011-2017) Adjunct Research Fellow, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute Adjunct Research Fellow, Griffith Institute for Health and Medical Research, Griffith University

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute
Oregon Health and Science University
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Stanford University
Wright State University
Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology
Universidad de Costa Rica
Yale University
Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania, TAS, Australia
UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
UT Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
P.I. (MPI) Whole Genome Sequencing to Identify Causal Genetic Variants Influencing CVD Risk 04/15/2012 - 03/31/2017 NIH/ NHLBI R01 HL113323 4,825,295
P.I. (MPI) Examination of Sequence Variants in Large Human Pedigrees to Identify Novel Genetics Variants Involved in Cardiac (Patho) Physiology 11/12/2015 - 11/12/2018 Eli Lilly Contract 408,728
Co- Inv. 2/3: Pedigree-Based Whole Genome Sequencing of Affective and Psychotic Disorders 03/01/2015 - 02/28/2019 NIH/ NIMH U01 MH105632 ---
Co- Inv. A Neurobehavioral Family Study of Schizophrenia 01/01/2015 - 12/31/2018 NIH/ NIMH R01 MH061622 ---
Co- Inv. Discovery of Functional Variants in Type 2 Diabetes Genes in Mexican Americans 05/01/2015 - 04/30/2019 NIH/ NIDDK U01 DK085524 ---
Co- Inv. A Genetic Study of Blood Metabolites and Their Relationship to Diabetes Risk 09/01/2013 - 06/30/2017 NIH/ NIDDK R01 DK099051 ---
Professor
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: joanne.curran@utrgv.edu
Brownsville Campus, Luis Colom Modular Bldg., Room 130 2700 E. Jackson Street Brownsville, TX. 78520
Phone: 956-882-7532

Ravindranath Duggirala

Professor
Phone: 956-665-6456
Email: ravindranath.duggirala@utrg...
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Ravindranath Duggirala

EDUCATION:

1995 Ph.D. Anthropology/Biological Anthropology University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA 1991 M.A. Anthropology University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA 1978 M.Sc. Human Genetics and Physical Anthropology Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

RESEARCH FOCUS:

With dual interests in anthropological genetics and genetic epidemiology, Dr. Duggirala’s research group pursues a wide range of human population studies around the world. Past, present and future collaborative projects include investigations of genetic and cultural influences on lipids in Mennonites from Kansas and Nebraska; localization and identification of genes that influence susceptibility to complex diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), metabolic syndrome (MS), cardiovascular disease, diabetic nephropathy, and gallbladder disease (GBD) in Mexican Americans; genetic studies of T2DM in native populations in India; and genetic studies of tuberculosis in Mexican populations in Chihuahua, Mexico. The growing epidemic of childhood obesity and its complications prompted Dr. Duggirala’s research group to conduct a unique study of nondiabetic children and youth aged 6-17 years from large predominantly lower-income Mexican American families known to be at increased risk for diabetes. The San Antonio Family Assessment of Metabolic Risk Indicators in Youth (SAFARI) study has generated data showing that many of the children are headed early toward T2DM-related health problems including obesity, pre-diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Critical findings generated by the project suggest that if screening of high-risk children could be performed by age six, it would provide an improved window of opportunity for interventions (e.g., diet and physical activity) that could delay or prevent the development of major health issues later in life. Dr. Duggirala is now seeking to implement culturally-sensitive and family-based lifestyle interventions for Mexican American children and adolescents to prevent the development of future serious health problems. Dr. Duggirala’s research group is strongly committed to major collaborative efforts such as the T2D-GENES Consortium. The Consortium is an effort to confirm and characterize the genetic associations for T2DM identified from recent genomewide association studies as well as to identify additional novel T2DM susceptibility genes/variants in the Mexican American population. The T2D-GENES project examines similarities and differences in the distribution of T2DM susceptibility variants among five ancestry groups: Europeans, East Asians, South Asians, Hispanic Americans, and African Americans. Dr. Duggirala’s research group is now part of the newly formed Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) T2D-GENES consortium that will build on and expand the research activities of the T2D-GENES consortium. At the international level, the research group has established an NIH-funded Collaborative Research Partnership (CRP) between two US institutions (including the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) and three institutions in India to evaluate genetic determinants of T2DM among Indian populations. Another collaborative project aims to use genome-metabolome technologies to identify novel genetically-driven small molecule biomarkers to predict diabetes risk linked to early onset of T2DM at lower obesity thresholds, using data from Punjabi/Sikh families from India, and to explore their relevance to multiethnic populations of the US. Dr. Duggirala also has led collaborative interactions between U.S. and Mexican researchers that have resulted in a growing program on the genetics of susceptibility to tuberculosis and a paper on the epidemiology of TB in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

BOOK(S):

Duggirala R, Almasy L, Williams-Blangero S, Paul S, Kole C (eds). Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non- Human Primates, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.

BOOK CHAPTER(S):

Arya R, Puppala S, Farook VS, Chittoor G, Jenkinson CP, Blangero J, Hale DE, Duggirala R, Almasy L. Mapping of susceptibility genes for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome in human populations. Pp. 181-246. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Nicholson AM, Finch NA, Almeida M, Perkerson RB, van Blitterswijk M, Wojtas A, Cenik B, Rotondo S, Inskeep V, Almasy L, Dyer T, Peralta J, Jun G, Wood AR, Frayling TM, Fuchsberger C, Fowler S, Teslovich TM, Manning AK, Kumar S, Curran J, Lehman D, Abecasis G, Duggirala R, Pottier C, Zahir HA, Crook JE, Karydas A, Mitic L, Sun Y, Dickson DW, Bu G, Herz J, Yu G, Miller BL, Ferguson S, Petersen RC, Graff-Radford N, Blangero J, Rademakers R. Prosaposin is a regulator of progranulin levels and oligomerization. Nat Commun. 2016 Jun 30;7:11992. doi: 10.1038/ncomms11992. PubMed PMID: 27356620.
  2. Hodgson K, Almasy L, Knowles EE, Kent JW, Curran JE, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Pearlson GD, Krystal JH, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant loci for addiction and anxiety. Eur Psychiatry. 2016 Jun 15;36:47-54. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.03.004. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27318301.
  3. Jenkinson CP, Göring HH, Arya R, Blangero J, Duggirala R, DeFronzo RA. Transcriptomics in type 2 diabetes: Bridging the gap between genotype and phenotype. Genom Data. 2015 Dec 17;8:25-36. doi: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.001. eCollection 2016 Jun. PubMed PMID: 27114903; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4832048.
  4. Hanson RL, Leti F, Tsinajinnie D, Kobes S, Puppala S, Curran JE, Almasy L, Lehman DM, Blangero J, Duggirala R, DiStefano JK. The Arg59Trp variant in ANGPTL8 (betatrophin) is associated with total and HDL-cholesterol in American Indians and Mexican Americans and differentially affects cleavage of ANGPTL3. Mol Genet Metab. 2016 Jun;118(2):128-37. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2016.04.007. Epub 2016 Apr 19. PubMed PMID: 27117576; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4880492.
  5. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Wong G, Weir JM, Barlow CK, Dyer TD, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Glahn DC, Magliano DJ, Zimmet P, Shaw J, Williams-Blangero S, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Meikle PJ, Curran JE. Lipidomic risk score independently and cost-effectively predicts risk of future type 2 diabetes: Results from diverse cohorts. Lipids Health Dis. 2016 Apr 4;15(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0234-3. PubMed PMID: 27044508; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4820916.
  6. Chittoor G, Kent JW Jr, Almeida M, Puppala S, Farook VS, Cole SA, Haack K, Göring HH, MacCluer JW, Curran JE, Carless MA, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Lehman DM, Duggirala R, Comuzzie AG, Blangero J, Voruganti VS. GWAS and transcriptional analysis prioritize ITPR1 and CNTN4 for a serum uric acid 3p26 QTL in Mexican Americans. BMC Genomics. 2016 Apr 2;17(1):276. doi: 10.1186/s12864-016-2594-5. PubMed PMID: 27039371; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4818944
  7. Franke B, Stein JL, Ripke S, Anttila V, Hibar DP, van Hulzen KJ, Arias-Vasquez A, Smoller JW, Nichols TE, Neale MC, McIntosh AM, Lee P, McMahon FJ, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Mattheisen M, Andreassen OA, Gruber O, Sachdev PS, Roiz-Santiañez R, Saykin AJ, Ehrlich S, Mather KA, Turner JA, Schwarz E, Thalamuthu A, Yao Y, Ho YY, Martin NG, Wright MJ; Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium; Psychosis Endophenotypes International Consortium; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2; Enigma Consortium, O'Donovan MC, Thompson PM, Neale BM, Medland SE, Sullivan PF. Genetic influences on schizophrenia and subcortical brain volumes: Large-scale proof of concept. Nat Neurosci. 2016 Mar;19(3):420-31. doi: 10.1038/nn.4228. Epub 2016 Feb 1. PubMed PMID: 26854805; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4852730.
  8. Kos MZ, Carless MA, Peralta J, Blackburn A, Almeida M, Roalf D, Pogue-Geile MF, Prasad K, Gur RC, Nimgaonkar V, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Glahn DC, Blangero J, Gur RE, Almasy L. Exome sequence data from multigenerational families implicate AMPA receptor trafficking in neurocognitive impairment and schizophrenia risk. Schizophr Bull. 2016 Mar;42(2):288-300. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbv135. Epub 2015 Sep 24. PubMed PMID: 26405221; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4753604.
  9. Kim JY, DeMenna JT, Puppala S, Chittoor G, Schneider J, Duggirala R, Mandarino LJ, Shaibi GQ, Coletta DK. Physical activity and FTO genotype by physical activity interactive influences on obesity. BMC Genet. 2016 Feb 24;17:47. doi: 10.1186/s12863-016-0357-6. PubMed PMID: 26908368; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4765034.
  10. Horikoshi M, Pasquali L, Wiltshire S, Huyghe JR, Mahajan A, Asimit JL, Ferreira T, Locke AE, Robertson NR, Wang X, Sim X, Fujita H, Hara K, Young R, Zhang W, Choi S, Chen H, Kaur I, Takeuchi F, Fontanillas P, Thuillier D, Yengo L, Below JE, Tam CH, Wu Y, Abecasis G, Altshuler D, Bell GI, Blangero J, Burtt NP, Duggirala R, Florez JC, Hanis CL, Seielstad M, Atzmon G, Chan JC, Ma RC, Froguel P, Wilson JG, Bharadwaj D, Dupuis J, Meigs JB, Cho YS, Park T, Kooner JS, Chambers JC, Saleheen D, Kadowaki T, Tai ES, Mohlke KL, Cox NJ, Ferrer J, Zeggini E, Kato N, Teo YY, Boehnke M, McCarthy MI, Morris AP; T2D-GENES Consortium. Transancestral fine-mapping of four type 2 diabetes susceptibility loci highlights potential causal regulatory mechanisms. Hum Mol Genet. 2016 Feb 23. pii: ddw048. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26911676.
  11. Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide linkage on chromosome 10q26 for a dimensional scale of major depression. J Affect Disord. 2016 Feb;191:123-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.11.012. Epub 2015 Nov 17. PubMed PMID: 26655122; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4715913.
  12. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Neary JL, Cole SA, Kent JW, Kumar S, Glahn DC, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Carless MA. Genome- and epigenome-wide association study of hypertriglyceridemic waist in Mexican American families. Clin Epigenetics. 2016 Jan 20;8:6. doi: 10.1186/s13148-016-0173-x. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 26798409; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4721061.
  13. Mathias SR, Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Recurrent major depression and right hippocampal volume: A bivariate linkage and association study. Hum Brain Mapp. 2016 Jan;37(1):191-202. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23025. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26485182.
  14. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.
  15. Kim YJ, Lee J, Kim BJ; T2D-Genes Consortium, Park T. A new strategy for enhancing imputation quality of rare variants from next-generation sequencing data via combining SNP and exome chip data. BMC Genomics. 2015 Dec 29;16:1109. doi: 10.1186/s12864-015-2192-y. PubMed PMID: 26715385; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4696174.
  16. Sprooten E, Gupta CN, Knowles EE, McKay DR, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Calhoun VD, Blangero J, Turner JA, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant linkage of schizophrenia-related neuroanatomical trait to 12q24. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2015 Dec; 168(8):678-86. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32360. Epub 2015 Oct 5. PubMed PMID: 26440917; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4639444.
  17. Arya R, Del Rincon I, Farook VS, Restrepo JF, Winnier DA, Fourcaudot MJ, Battafarano DF, Almeida M, Kumar S, Curran JE, Jenkinson CP, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Escalante A. Genetic variants influencing joint damage in Mexican Americans and European Americans with rheumatoid arthritis. Genet Epidemiol. 2015 Dec; 39(8):678-88. doi: 10.1002/gepi.21938. Epub 2015 Oct 26. PubMed PMID: 26498133.
  18. Rubicz R, Yolken R, Drigalenko E, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kent J Jr, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Cole SA, Fowler SP, Arya R, Puppala S, Almasy L, Moses EK, Kraig E, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Leach CT, Göring HH. Genome-wide genetic investigation of serological measures of common infections. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015; Nov; 23(11):1544-8. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.24. Epub 2015 Mar 11. PubMed PMID: 25758998; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4613484.
  19. Farook VS, Reddivari L, Chittoor G, Puppala S, Arya R, Fowler SP, Hunt KJ, Curran JE, Comuzzie AG, Lehman DM, Jenkinson CP, Lynch JL, DeFronzo RA, Blangero J, Hale DE, Duggirala R, Vanamala J. Metabolites as novel biomarkers for childhood obesity-related traits in Mexican-American children. Pediatr Obes. 2015 Aug; 10(4):320-7. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.270. Epub 2014 Nov 18. PubMed PMID: 25405847; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4436034.
  20. Iyengar SK, Sedor JR, Freedman BI, Kao WH, Kretzler M, Keller BJ, Abboud HE, Adler SG, Best LG, Bowden DW, Burlock A, Chen YD, Cole SA, Comeau ME, Curtis JM, Divers J, Drechsler C, Duggirala R, Elston RC, Guo X, Huang H, Hoffmann MM, Howard BV, Ipp E, Kimmel PL, Klag MJ, Knowler WC, Kohn OF, Leak TS, Leehey DJ, Li M, Malhotra A, März W, Nair V, Nelson RG, Nicholas SB, O'Brien SJ, Pahl MV, Parekh RS, Pezzolesi MG, Rasooly RS, Rotimi CN, Rotter JI, Schelling JR, Seldin MF, Shah VO, Smiles AM, Smith MW, Taylor KD, Thameem F, Thornley-Brown DP, Truitt BJ, Wanner C, Weil EJ, Winkler CA, Zager PG, Igo RP Jr, Hanson RL, Langefeld CD; Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND). Genome-wide association and trans-ethnic meta-analysis for advanced diabetic kidney disease: Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND). PLoS Genet. 2015 Aug 25;11(8):e1005352. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005352. eCollection 2015 Aug. PubMed PMID: 26305897; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4549309.
  21. Kochunov P, Jahanshad N, Marcus D, Winkler A, Sprooten E, Nichols TE, Wright SN, Hong LE, Patel B, Behrens T, Jbabdi S, Andersson J, Lenglet C, Yacoub E, Moeller S, Auerbach E, Ugurbil K, Sotiropoulos SN, Brouwer RM, Landman B, Lemaitre H, den Braber A, Zwiers MP, Ritchie S, van Hulzen K, Almasy L, Curran J, deZubicaray GI, Duggirala R, Fox P, Martin NG, McMahon KL, Mitchell B, Olvera RL, Peterson C, Starr J, Sussmann J, Wardlaw J, Wright M, Boomsma DI, Kahn R, de Geus EJ, Williamson DE, Hariri A, van 't Ent D, Bastin ME, McIntosh A, Deary IJ, Hulshoff Pol HE, Blangero J, Thompson PM, Glahn DC, Van Essen DC. Heritability of fractional anisotropy in human white matter: A comparison of Human Connectome Project and ENIGMA-DTI data. Neuroimage. 2015 May 1;111:300-11. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.02.050. Epub 2015 Mar 4. PubMed PMID: 25747917; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4387079.
  22. Hibar DP, Stein JL, Renteria ME, Arias-Vasquez A, Desrivières S, Jahanshad N, Toro R, Wittfeld K, Abramovic L, Andersson M, Aribisala BS, Armstrong NJ, Bernard M, Bohlken MM, Boks MP, Bralten J, Brown AA, Chakravarty MM, Chen Q, Ching CR, Cuellar-Partida G, den Braber A, Giddaluru S, Goldman AL, Grimm O, Guadalupe T, Hass J, Woldehawariat G, Holmes AJ, Hoogman M, Janowitz D, Jia T, Kim S, Klein M, Kraemer B, Lee PH, Olde Loohuis LM, Luciano M, Macare C, Mather KA, Mattheisen M, Milaneschi Y, Nho K, Papmeyer M, Ramasamy A, Risacher SL, Roiz-Santiañez R, Rose EJ, Salami A, Sämann PG, Schmaal L, Schork AJ, Shin J, Strike LT, Teumer A, van Donkelaar MM, van Eijk KR, Walters RK, Westlye LT, Whelan CD, Winkler AM, Zwiers MP, Alhusaini S, Athanasiu L, Ehrlich S, Hakobjan MM, Hartberg CB, Haukvik UK, Heister AJ, Hoehn D, Kasperaviciute D, Liewald DC, Lopez LM, Makkinje RR, Matarin M, Naber MA, McKay DR, Needham M, Nugent AC, Pütz B, Royle NA, Shen L, Sprooten E, Trabzuni D, van der Marel SS, van Hulzen KJ, Walton E, Wolf C, Almasy L, Ames D, Arepalli S, Assareh AA, Bastin ME, Brodaty H, Bulayeva KB, Carless MA, Cichon S, Corvin A, Curran JE, Czisch M, de Zubicaray GI, Dillman A, Duggirala R, Dyer TD, Erk S, Fedko IO, Ferrucci L, Foroud TM, Fox PT, Fukunaga M, Gibbs JR, Göring HH, Green RC, Guelfi S, Hansell NK, Hartman CA, Hegenscheid K, Heinz A, Hernandez DG, Heslenfeld DJ, Hoekstra PJ, Holsboer F, Homuth G, Hottenga JJ, Ikeda M, Jack CR Jr, Jenkinson M, Johnson R, Kanai R, Keil M, Kent JW Jr, Kochunov P, Kwok JB, Lawrie SM, Liu X, Longo DL, McMahon KL, Meisenzahl E, Melle I, Mohnke S, Montgomery GW, Mostert JC, Mühleisen TW, Nalls MA, Nichols TE, Nilsson LG, Nöthen MM, Ohi K, Olvera RL, Perez-Iglesias R, Pike GB, Potkin SG, Reinvang I, Reppermund S, Rietschel M, Romanczuk-Seiferth N, Rosen GD, Rujescu D, Schnell K, Schofield PR, Smith C, Steen VM, Sussmann JE, Thalamuthu A, Toga AW, Traynor BJ, Troncoso J, Turner JA, Valdés Hernández MC, van 't Ent D, van der Brug M, van der Wee NJ, van Tol MJ, Veltman DJ, Wassink TH, Westman E, Zielke RH, Zonderman AB, Ashbrook DG, Hager R, Lu L, McMahon FJ, Morris DW, Williams RW, Brunner HG, Buckner RL, Buitelaar JK, Cahn W, Calhoun VD, Cavalleri GL, Crespo-Facorro B, Dale AM, Davies GE, Delanty N, Depondt C, Djurovic S, Drevets WC, Espeseth T, Gollub RL, Ho BC, Hoffmann W, Hosten N, Kahn RS, Le Hellard S, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Müller-Myhsok B, Nauck M, Nyberg L, Pandolfo M, Penninx BW, Roffman JL, Sisodiya SM, Smoller JW, van Bokhoven H, van Haren NE, Völzke H, Walter H, Weiner MW, Wen W, White T, Agartz I, Andreassen OA, Blangero J, Boomsma DI, Brouwer RM, Cannon DM, Cookson MR, de Geus EJ, Deary IJ, Donohoe G, Fernández G, Fisher SE, Francks C, Glahn DC, Grabe HJ, Gruber O, Hardy J, Hashimoto R, Hulshoff Pol HE, Jönsson EG, Kloszewska I, Lovestone S, Mattay VS, Mecocci P, McDonald C, McIntosh AM, Ophoff RA, Paus T, Pausova Z, Ryten M, Sachdev PS, Saykin AJ, Simmons A, Singleton A, Soininen H, Wardlaw JM, Weale ME, Weinberger DR, Adams HH, Launer LJ, Seiler S, Schmidt R, Chauhan G, Satizabal CL, Becker JT, Yanek L, van der Lee SJ, Ebling M, Fischl B, Longstreth WT Jr, Greve D, Schmidt H, Nyquist P, Vinke LN, van Duijn CM, Xue L, Mazoyer B, Bis JC, Gudnason V, Seshadri S, Ikram MA; Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; CHARGE Consortium; EPIGEN; IMAGEN; SYS, Martin NG, Wright MJ, Schumann G, Franke B, Thompson PM, Medland SE. Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures. Nature. 2015 Apr 9; 520(7546):224-9. doi: 10.1038/nature14101. Epub 2015 Jan 21. PubMed PMID: 25607358; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4393366.
  23. Williams AL, Genovese G, Dyer T, Altemose N, Truax K, Jun G, Patterson N, Myers SR, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Reich D, Przeworski M; T2D-GENES Consortium. Non-crossover gene conversions show strong GC bias and unexpected clustering in humans. Elife. 2015 Mar 25; 4. doi: 10.7554/eLife.04637. PubMed PMID: 25806687; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4404656.
  24. Wood AR, Tuke MA, Nalls M, Hernandez D, Gibbs JR, Lin H, Xu CS, Li Q, Shen J, Jun G, Almeida M, Tanaka T, Perry JR, Gaulton K, Rivas M, Pearson R, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Göring HH, Duggirala R, Blangero J, McCarthy MI, Bandinelli S, Murray A, Weedon MN, Singleton A, Melzer D, Ferrucci L, Frayling TM. Whole-genome sequencing to understand the genetic architecture of common gene expression and biomarker phenotypes. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Mar 1;24(5):1504-12. doi:10.1093/hmg/ddu560. Epub 2014 Nov 6. PubMed PMID: 25378555; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4321449.
  25. Knowles EE, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Sprooten E, Carless MA, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Pleiotropic locus for emotion recognition and amygdala volume identified using univariate and bivariate linkage. Am J Psychiatry. 2015 Feb 1;172(2):190-9. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14030311. Epub 2014 Oct 31. PubMed PMID: 25322361; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4314438.
  26. Glahn DC, Williams JT, McKay DR, Knowles EE, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Woolsey MD, Winkler AM, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J. Discovering schizophrenia endophenotypes in randomly ascertained pedigrees. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Jan 1;77(1):75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.06.027. Epub 2014 Jul 21. PubMed PMID: 25168609; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4261014.
  27. Spieker EA, Kochunov P, Rowland LM, Sprooten E, Winkler AM, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Blangero J, Glahn DC, Curran JE. Shared genetic variance between obesity and white matter integrity in Mexican Americans. Front Genet. 2015 Feb 13; 6:26. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00026. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25763009; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4327744.
  28. Dager AD, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Curran JE, Knowles E, Sprooten E, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Pearlson GD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Lovallo WR, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Shared genetic factors influence amygdala volumes and risk for alcoholism. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015 Jan; 40(2):412-20. doi:10.1038/npp.2014.187. Epub 2014 Jul 31. PubMed PMID: 25079289; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4443955.
  29. Mahajan A, Sim X, Ng HJ, Manning A, Rivas MA, Highland HM, Locke AE, Grarup N, Im HK, Cingolani P, Flannick J, Fontanillas P, Fuchsberger C, Gaulton KJ, Teslovich TM, Rayner NW, Robertson NR, Beer NL, Rundle JK, Bork- Jensen J, Ladenvall C, Blancher C, Buck D, Buck G, Burtt NP, Gabriel S, Gjesing AP, Groves CJ, Hollensted M, Huyghe JR, Jackson AU, Jun G, Justesen JM, Mangino M, Murphy J, Neville M, Onofrio R, Small KS, Stringham HM, Syvänen AC, Trakalo J, Abecasis G, Bell GI, Blangero J, Cox NJ, Duggirala R, Hanis CL, Seielstad M, Wilson JG, Christensen C, Brandslund I, Rauramaa R, Surdulescu GL, Doney AS, Lannfelt L, Linneberg A, Isomaa B, Tuomi T, Jørgensen ME, Jørgensen T, Kuusisto J, Uusitupa M, Salomaa V, Spector TD, Morris AD, Palmer CN, Collins FS, Mohlke KL, Bergman RN, Ingelsson E, Lind L, Tuomilehto J, Hansen T, Watanabe RM, Prokopenko I, Dupuis J, Karpe F, Groop L, Laakso M, Pedersen O, Florez JC, Morris AP, Altshuler D, Meigs JB, Boehnke M, McCarthy MI, Lindgren CM, Gloyn AL; T2D-GENES consortium and GoT2D consortium. Identification and functional characterization of G6PC2 coding variants influencing glycemic traits define an effector transcript at the G6PC2- ABCB11 locus. PLoS Genet. 2015 Jan 27; 11(1):e1004876. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004876. eCollection 2015 Jan. PubMed PMID: 25625282; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4307976.
  30. Curran JE, Kumar S, Cromack DT, Hu SL, Coletta DK, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). (2015) World Biomedical Frontiers, Diabetes and Obesity Section ISSN; published online. ISSN: 2328-0166. http://biomedfrontiers.org/diabetes-obesity-2015-9-11/
  31. Winnier DA, Fourcaudot M, Norton L, Abdul-Ghani MA, Hu SL, Farook VS, Coletta DK, Kumar S, Puppala S, Chittoor G, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Lehman DM, Curran JE, Cromack DT, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). PLoS One. 2015 Apr 1; 10(4):e0119941. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119941. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25830378; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4382323.

MANUSCRIPT REVIEW:

Annals of Human Genetics
Diabetic Medicine
Translational Research

INTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Admissions Committee, UTRGV School of Medicine

Member, Institutional Review Board (IRB), University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Adjunct Professor, Division of Diabetes, Department of Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio Member, Steering Committee, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) Genetic Exploration by Next-Generation Sequencing in Ethnic Samples (T2D-GENES) Consortium (NIDDK)
Member, Steering Committee, Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) T2D-GENES Consortium (NIDDK) Member, AMP T2D GENES Data Working Group
Member, U.S. Consortium Steering Committee, International Consortium for the Study of Tuberculosis (ICST), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Review Editor, Frontiers in Applied Genetic Epidemiology Journal
Reviewer, Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science (IIMS)/Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), Pilot Projects, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Member, VA SPLM (MVP beta-test projects) Review Committee (Teleconference Participant)
Member (IRB-3), Institutional Review Board-3, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (until 09/15) AlternateMember (IRB-1), Institutional Review Board-1, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (until 09/15)
Alternate Member (IRB-2), Institutional Review Board-2, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (until 09/15)
Alternate Member (IRB-E), Institutional Review Board-E, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (until 09/15)

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Arizona State University
Rajasthan University of Health Sciences
University of Maryland School of Medicine 
Hospital General de Mexico Dr Eduardo Liceaga
Southwest Research Institute
University of North Carolina
Kuwait University
Sri Ramachandra University
University of Oklahoma HSC
Narayana Medical College & Hospital
Texas Biomedical Research Institute
UTHSC/H School of Public Health
National Jewish Health
Texas Department of State Health Services
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
National Institute for Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disease, NIH
Texas Tech University HSC
University of Veracruz
New Mexico Department of Health
University of California at Los Angeles
Washington U. School of Medicine
Penn State University
University of Kansas
Yale University School of Medicine
Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, NIDDK, NIH
University of Chihuahua

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
P.I.
(MPI		 Discovery of Functional
Variants in Type 2 Diabetes
Genes in Mexican Americans		 05/01/2015 -
04/30/2019		 NIH/
NIDDK		 U01
DK085524		 1,002,506
P.I. Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes in
Indian Populations: US-India
Collaboration Project		 04/08/2016 -
03/31/2018		 NIH/
NIDDK		 R21
DK105913		 82,058
Co-
Inv.		 Whole Genome Sequencing to
Identify Causal Genetic
Variants Influencing CVD Risk		 04/15/2012 -
03/31/2017		 NIH/
NHLBI		 R01
HL113323		 ---
Professor
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: ravindranath.duggirala@utrgv.edu
Edinburg Research Education Building, Room 2.104 1214 W. Schunior Street Edinburg, TX., 78541
Phone: 956-665-6456

Harald Goring

Professor, Department of Human Genetics
Email: harald.goring@utrgv.edu
Read More

Harald Goring

EDUCATION:

2000 Ph.D. Statistical Genetics Columbia University, New York, NY

1996 M.Ph. Statistical Genetics Columbia University, New York, NY

1993 M.A. Molecular Genetics Columbia University, New York, NY

RESEARCH FOCUS:

To what degree do we inherit predisposition to disease, life expectancy, and personal skills, predilections, and behaviors? What are the specific genetic factors involved in shaping these characteristics? To address these questions, Dr. Göring’s research group works on two aspects of genetic epidemiology, the development of statistical methods for genetic analysis and the application of those methods to well-designed human datasets. On the methodological front, Dr. Göring’s research group is working on ways to localize and identify rare genomic variants with strong phenotypic impact on complex traits in extended pedigree samples. Specifically, his research group is taking advantage of genotyped rare variants from whole genome sequence data to phase and impute missing genotype data, and, they are developing methods for assessing the phenotypic effect of unique chromosome segments (found only in a single pedigree founder and his/her descendants) on disease and disease-related quantitative risk factors. On the applied front, Dr. Göring’s research group is involved in several studies that integrate genotypic data and other “omics” technology-generated data to unravel trait etiology. One project involves the search for differences in gene expression between schizophrenic individuals and controls. His research group is examining the expression patterns of case and control lymphoblastoid cell lines (from both European ancestry and African American individuals) before and after stimulation with the neurotransmitter dopamine, with the hope that the identified differences reveal information about the etiology of schizophrenia. Dr. Göring’s group is also seeking to identify early metabolomic biomarkers for type 2 diabetes. They are screening prospectively collected blood plasma samples in a large cohort of Mexican American family members using a highly sensitive separation methodology (untargeted two-dimensional gas chromatography approach coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry) to identify specific molecules or chemical signatures that predict elevated risk of disease onset. In addition, he is assessing the genetic architecture that regulates the levels of specific individual compounds (or their ratios) in the blood stream.

BOOK CHAPTER(S):

Göring HH. Gene expression studies and complex diseases. Pp. 67-83. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates. R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2015.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Runge CL, Indap A, Zhou Y, Kent JW Jr, King E, Erbe CB, Cole R, Littrell J, Merath K, James R, Rüschendorf F, Kerschner JE, Marth G, Hübner N, Göring HH, Friedland DR, Kwok WM, Olivier M. Association of TMTC2 with human nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2016 Jun 16. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2016.1444. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27311106.
  2. Hodgson K, Almasy L, Knowles EE, Kent JW, Curran JE, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Pearlson GD, Krystal JH, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant loci for addiction and anxiety. Eur Psychiatry. 2016 Jun 15;36:47-54. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.03.004. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27318301.
  3. Jenkinson CP, Göring HH, Arya R, Blangero J, Duggirala R, DeFronzo RA. Transcriptomics in type 2 diabetes: Bridging the gap between genotype and phenotype. Genom Data. 2015 Dec 17;8:25-36. doi: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.001. eCollection 2016 Jun. PubMed PMID: 27114903; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4832048.
  4. Guillen-Ahlers H, Rao PK, Levenstein ME, Kennedy-Darling J, Perumalla DS, Jadhav AY, Glenn JP, Ludwig- Kubinski A, Drigalenko E, Montoya MJ, Göring HH, Anderson CD, Scalf M, Gildersleeve HI, Cole R, Greene AM, Oduro AK, Lazarova K, Cesnik AJ, Barfknecht J, Cirillo LA, Gasch AP, Shortreed MR, Smith LM, Olivier M. HyCCAPP as a tool to characterize promoter DNA-protein interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genomics. 2016 Jun;107(6):267-73. doi: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2016.05.002. Epub 2016 May 13. PubMed PMID: 27184763.
  5. Chittoor G, Kent JW Jr, Almeida M, Puppala S, Farook VS, Cole SA, Haack K, Göring HH, MacCluer JW, Curran JE, Carless MA, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Lehman DM, Duggirala R, Comuzzie AG, Blangero J, Voruganti VS. GWAS and transcriptional analysis prioritize ITPR1 and CNTN4 for a serum uric acid 3p26 QTL in Mexican Americans. BMC Genomics. 2016 Apr 2;17(1):276. doi: 10.1186/s12864-016-2594-5. PubMed PMID: 27039371; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4818944.
  6. Franke B, Stein JL, Ripke S, Anttila V, Hibar DP, van Hulzen KJ, Arias-Vasquez A, Smoller JW, Nichols TE, Neale MC, McIntosh AM, Lee P, McMahon FJ, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Mattheisen M, Andreassen OA, Gruber O, Sachdev PS, Roiz-Santiañez R, Saykin AJ, Ehrlich S, Mather KA, Turner JA, Schwarz E, Thalamuthu A, Yao Y, Ho YY, Martin NG, Wright MJ; Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium; Psychosis Endophenotypes International Consortium; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2; Enigma Consortium, O'Donovan MC, Thompson PM, Neale BM, Medland SE, Sullivan PF. Genetic influences on schizophrenia and subcortical brain volumes: Large-scale proof of concept. Nat Neurosci. 2016 Mar;19(3):420-31. doi: 10.1038/nn.4228. Epub 2016 Feb 1. PubMed PMID: 26854805; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4852730.
  7. Traurig M, Hanson RL, Marinelarena A, Kobes S, Piaggi P, Cole S, Curran JE, Blangero J, Göring H, Kumar S, Nelson RG, Howard BV, Knowler WC, Baier LJ, Bogardus C. Analysis of SLC16A11 variants in 12,811 American Indians: Genotype-obesity interaction for Type 2 diabetes and an association with RNASEK expression. Diabetes. 2016 Feb;65(2):510-9. doi: 10.2337/db15-0571. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26487785; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4747458.
  8. Zhou Y, Zhu G, Charlesworth JC, Simpson S Jr, Rubicz R, Göring HH, Patsopoulos NA, Laverty C, Wu F, Henders A, Ellis JJ, van der Mei I, Montgomery GW, Blangero J, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Martin NG, Nyholt DR, Taylor BV; ANZgene consortium. Genetic loci for Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-1 are associated with risk of multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler. 2016 Jan 27. pii: 1352458515626598. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26819262.
  9. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Neary JL, Cole SA, Kent JW, Kumar S, Glahn DC, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Carless MA. Genome- and epigenome-wide association study of hypertriglyceridemic waist in Mexican American families. Clin Epigenetics. 2016 Jan 20;8:6. doi: 10.1186/s13148-016-0173-x. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 26798409; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4721061.
  10. Mathias SR, Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Recurrent major depression and right hippocampal volume: A bivariate linkage and association study. Hum Brain Mapp. 2016 Jan;37(1):191-202. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23025. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26485182.
  11. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.
  12. Poldrack RA, Laumann TO, Koyejo O, Gregory B, Hover A, Chen MY, Gorgolewski KJ, Luci J, Joo SJ, Boyd RL, Hunicke-Smith S, Simpson ZB, Caven T, Sochat V, Shine JM, Gordon E, Snyder AZ, Adeyemo B, Petersen SE, Glahn DC, Reese Mckay D, Curran JE, Göring HH, Carless MA, Blangero J, Dougherty R, Leemans A, Handwerker DA, Frick L, Marcotte EM, Mumford JA. Long-term neural and physiological phenotyping of a single human. Nat Commun. 2015 Dec 9;6:8885. doi: 10.1038/ncomms9885. PubMed PMID: 26648521; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4682164.
  13. Sprooten E, Gupta CN, Knowles EE, McKay DR, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Calhoun VD, Blangero J, Turner JA, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant linkage of schizophrenia-related neuroanatomical trait to 12q24. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2015 Dec;168(8):678-86. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32360. Epub 2015 Oct 5. PubMed PMID: 26440917; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4639444.
  14. Rubicz R, Yolken R, Drigalenko E, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kent J Jr, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Cole SA, Fowler SP, Arya R, Puppala S, Almasy L, Moses EK, Kraig E, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Leach CT, Göring HH. Genome-wide genetic investigation of serological measures of common infections. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Nov;23(11):1544-8. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.24. Epub 2015 Mar 11. PubMed PMID: 25758998; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4613484.
  15. Peters MJ, Joehanes R, Pilling LC, Schurmann C, Conneely KN, Powell J, Reinmaa E, Sutphin GL, Zhernakova A, Schramm K, Wilson YA, Kobes S, Tukiainen T; NABEC/UKBEC Consortium, Ramos YF, Göring HH, Fornage M, Liu Y, Gharib SA, Stranger BE, De Jager PL, Aviv A, Levy D, Murabito JM, Munson PJ, Huan T, Hofman A, Uitterlinden AG, Rivadeneira F, van Rooij J, Stolk L, Broer L, Verbiest MM, Jhamai M, Arp P, Metspalu A, Tserel L, Milani L, Samani NJ, Peterson P, Kasela S, Codd V, Peters A, Ward-Caviness CK, Herder C, Waldenberger M, Roden M, Singmann P, Zeilinger S, Illig T, Homuth G, Grabe HJ, Völzke H, Steil L, Kocher T, Murray A, Melzer D, Yaghootkar H, Bandinelli S, Moses EK, Kent JW, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Williams-Blangero S, Westra HJ, McRae AF, Smith JA, Kardia SL, Hovatta I, Perola M, Ripatti S, Salomaa V, Henders AK, Martin NG, Smith AK, Mehta D, Binder EB, Nylocks KM, Kennedy EM, Klengel T, Ding J, Suchy-Dicey AM, Enquobahrie DA, Brody J, Rotter JI, Chen YD, Houwing-Duistermaat J, Kloppenburg M, Slagboom PE, Helmer Q, den Hollander W, Bean S, Raj T, Bakhshi N, Wang QP, Oyston LJ, Psaty BM, Tracy RP, Montgomery GW, Turner ST, Blangero J, Meulenbelt I, Ressler KJ, Yang J, Franke L, Kettunen J, Visscher PM, Neely GG, Korstanje R, Hanson RL, Prokisch H, Ferrucci L, Esko T, Teumer A, van Meurs JB, Johnson AD. The transcriptional landscape of age in human peripheral blood. Nat Commun. 2015 Oct 22;6:8570. doi: 10.1038/ncomms9570. PubMed PMID: 26490707; PubMed Central PMCID: MC4639797.
  16. Rodriguez-Acevedo AJ, Ferreira MA, Benton MC, Carless MA, Göring HH, Curran JE, Blangero J, Lea RA, Griffiths LR. Common polygenic variation contributes to risk of migraine in the Norfolk Island population. Hum Genet. 2015 Oct;134(10):1079-87. doi: 10.1007/s00439-015-1587-9. Epub 2015 Jul 29. PubMed PMID: 26220684.
  17. Benton MC, Lea RA, Macartney-Coxson D, Hanna M, Eccles DA, Carless MA, Chambers GK, Bellis C, Göring HH, Curran JE, Harper JL, Gibson G, Blangero J, Griffiths LR. A phenomic scan of the Norfolk Island genetic isolate identifies a major pleiotropic effect locus associated with metabolic and renal disorder markers. PLoS Genet. 2015 Oct 16;11(10):e1005593. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005593. eCollection 2015 Oct. PubMed PMID: 26474483; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4608754.
  18. Kulkarni H, Kos MZ, Neary J, Dyer TD, Kent JW Jr, Göring HH, Cole SA, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Curran JE, Blangero J, Carless MA. Novel epigenetic determinants of type 2 diabetes in Mexican-American families. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Sep 15;24(18):5330-44. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv232. Epub 2015 Jun 22. PubMed PMID: 26101197; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4550817.
  19. Blackburn A, Almeida M, Dean A, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Abraham LJ, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kumar S, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie A, Williams-Blangero S, Blangero J, Lehman DM, Göring HH. Effects of copy number variable regions on local gene expression in white blood cells of Mexican Americans. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Sep;23(9):1229-35. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.280. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PubMed PMID: 25585699; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4538210.
  20. Duan J, Sanders AR, Moy W, Drigalenko EI, Brown EC, Freda J, Leites C, Göring HH; MGS, Gejman PV. Transcriptome outlier analysis implicates schizophrenia susceptibility genes and enriches putatively functional rare genetic variants. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Aug 15;24(16):4674-85. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv199. Epub 2015 May 28. PubMed PMID: 26022996; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4512633.
  21. Butte NF, Liu Y, Zakeri IF, Mohney RP, Mehta N, Voruganti VS, Göring H, Cole SA, Comuzzie AG. Global metabolomic profiling targeting childhood obesity in the Hispanic population. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Aug;102(2):256-67. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.111872. Epub 2015 Jun 17. PubMed PMID: 26085512; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4515872.
  22. Kringel H, Thamsborg SM, Petersen HH, Göring HH, Skallerup P, Nejsum P. Serum antibody responses in pigs trickle-infected with Ascaris and Trichuris: Heritabilities and associations with parasitological findings. Vet Parasitol. 2015 Jul 30;211(3-4):306-11. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.06.008. Epub 2015 Jun 12. PubMed PMID: 26095952.
  23. Skallerup P, Thamsborg SM, Jørgensen CB, Mejer H, Göring HH, Archibald AL, Fredholm M, Nejsum P. Detection of a quantitative trait locus associated with resistance to infection with Trichuris suis in pigs. Vet Parasitol. 2015 Jun 15;210(3-4):264-9. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.03.014. Epub 2015 Mar 27. PubMed PMID: 25858116.
  24. Hibar DP, Stein JL, Renteria ME, Arias-Vasquez A, Desrivières S, Jahanshad N, Toro R, Wittfeld K, Abramovic L, Andersson M, Aribisala BS, Armstrong NJ, Bernard M, Bohlken MM, Boks MP, Bralten J, Brown AA, Chakravarty MM, Chen Q, Ching CR, Cuellar-Partida G, den Braber A, Giddaluru S, Goldman AL, Grimm O, Guadalupe T, Hass J, Woldehawariat G, Holmes AJ, Hoogman M, Janowitz D, Jia T, Kim S, Klein M, Kraemer B, Lee PH, Olde Loohuis LM, Luciano M, Macare C, Mather KA, Mattheisen M, Milaneschi Y, Nho K, Papmeyer M, Ramasamy A, Risacher SL, Roiz-Santiañez R, Rose EJ, Salami A, Sämann PG, Schmaal L, Schork AJ, Shin J, Strike LT, Teumer A, van Donkelaar MM, van Eijk KR, Walters RK, Westlye LT, Whelan CD, Winkler AM, Zwiers MP, Alhusaini S, Athanasiu L, Ehrlich S, Hakobjan MM, Hartberg CB, Haukvik UK, Heister AJ, Hoehn D, Kasperaviciute D, Liewald DC, Lopez LM, Makkinje RR, Matarin M, Naber MA, McKay DR, Needham M, Nugent AC, Pütz B, Royle NA, Shen L, Sprooten E, Trabzuni D, van der Marel SS, van Hulzen KJ, Walton E, Wolf C, Almasy L, Ames D, Arepalli S, Assareh AA, Bastin ME, Brodaty H, Bulayeva KB, Carless MA, Cichon S, Corvin A, Curran JE, Czisch M, de Zubicaray GI, Dillman A, Duggirala R, Dyer TD, Erk S, Fedko IO, Ferrucci L, Foroud TM, Fox PT, Fukunaga M, Gibbs JR, Göring HH, Green RC, Guelfi S, Hansell NK, Hartman CA, Hegenscheid K, Heinz A, Hernandez DG, Heslenfeld DJ, Hoekstra PJ, Holsboer F, Homuth G, Hottenga JJ, Ikeda M, Jack CR Jr, Jenkinson M, Johnson R, Kanai R, Keil M, Kent JW Jr, Kochunov P, Kwok JB, Lawrie SM, Liu X, Longo DL, McMahon KL, Meisenzahl E, Melle I, Mohnke S, Montgomery GW, Mostert JC, Mühleisen TW, Nalls MA, Nichols TE, Nilsson LG, Nöthen MM, Ohi K, Olvera RL, Perez-Iglesias R, Pike GB, Potkin SG, Reinvang I, Reppermund S, Rietschel M, Romanczuk-Seiferth N, Rosen GD, Rujescu D, Schnell K, Schofield PR, Smith C, Steen VM, Sussmann JE, Thalamuthu A, Toga AW, Traynor BJ, Troncoso J, Turner JA, Valdés Hernández MC, van 't Ent D, van der Brug M, van der Wee NJ, van Tol MJ, Veltman DJ, Wassink TH, Westman E, Zielke RH, Zonderman AB, Ashbrook DG, Hager R, Lu L, McMahon FJ, Morris DW, Williams RW, Brunner HG, Buckner RL, Buitelaar JK, Cahn W, Calhoun VD, Cavalleri GL, Crespo-Facorro B, Dale AM, Davies GE, Delanty N, Depondt C, Djurovic S, Drevets WC, Espeseth T, Gollub RL, Ho BC, Hoffmann W, Hosten N, Kahn RS, Le Hellard S, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Müller-Myhsok B, Nauck M, Nyberg L, Pandolfo M, Penninx BW, Roffman JL, Sisodiya SM, Smoller JW, van Bokhoven H, van Haren NE, Völzke H, Walter H, Weiner MW, Wen W, White T, Agartz I, Andreassen OA, Blangero J, Boomsma DI, Brouwer RM, Cannon DM, Cookson MR, de Geus EJ, Deary IJ, Donohoe G, Fernández G, Fisher SE, Francks C, Glahn DC, Grabe HJ, Gruber O, Hardy J, Hashimoto R, Hulshoff Pol HE, Jönsson EG, Kloszewska I, Lovestone S, Mattay VS, Mecocci P, McDonald C, McIntosh AM, Ophoff RA, Paus T, Pausova Z, Ryten M, Sachdev PS, Saykin AJ, Simmons A, Singleton A, Soininen H, Wardlaw JM, Weale ME, Weinberger DR, Adams HH, Launer LJ, Seiler S, Schmidt R, Chauhan G, Satizabal CL, Becker JT, Yanek L, van der Lee SJ, Ebling M, Fischl B, Longstreth WT Jr, Greve D, Schmidt H, Nyquist P, Vinke LN, van Duijn CM, Xue L, Mazoyer B, Bis JC, Gudnason V, Seshadri S, Ikram MA; Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; CHARGE Consortium; EPIGEN; IMAGEN; SYS, Martin NG, Wright MJ, Schumann G, Franke B, Thompson PM, Medland SE. Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures. Nature. 2015 Apr 9;520(7546):224-9. doi: 10.1038/nature14101. Epub 2015 Jan 21. PubMed PMID: 25607358; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4393366.
  25. Wood AR, Tuke MA, Nalls M, Hernandez D, Gibbs JR, Lin H, Xu CS, Li Q, Shen J, Jun G, Almeida M, Tanaka T, Perry JR, Gaulton K, Rivas M, Pearson R, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Göring HH, Duggirala R, Blangero J, McCarthy MI, Bandinelli S, Murray A, Weedon MN, Singleton A, Melzer D, Ferrucci L, Frayling TM. Whole-genome sequencing to understand the genetic architecture of common gene expression and biomarker phenotypes. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Mar 1;24(5):1504-12. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddu560. Epub 2014 Nov 6. PubMed PMID: 25378555; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4321449.
  26. Knowles EE, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Sprooten E, Carless MA, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Pleiotropic locus for emotion recognition and amygdala volume identified using univariate and bivariate linkage. Am J Psychiatry. 2015 Feb 1;172(2):190-9. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14030311. Epub 2014 Oct 31. PubMed PMID: 25322361; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4314438.
  27. Glahn DC, Williams JT, McKay DR, Knowles EE, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Woolsey MD, Winkler AM, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J. Discovering schizophrenia endophenotypes in randomly ascertained pedigrees. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Jan 1;77(1):75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.06.027. Epub 2014 Jul 21. PubMed PMID: 25168609; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4261014.
  28. Dager AD, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Curran JE, Knowles E, Sprooten E, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Pearlson GD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Lovallo WR, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Shared genetic factors influence amygdala volumes and risk for alcoholism. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015 Jan;40(2):412-20. doi: 10.1038/npp.2014.187. Epub 2014 Jul 31. PubMed PMID: 25079289; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4443955.
  29. Curran JE, Kumar S, Cromack DT, Hu SL, Coletta DK, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). (2015) World Biomedical Frontiers, Diabetes and Obesity Section ISSN; published online. ISSN: 2328-0166. http://biomedfrontiers.org/diabetes-obesity-2015-9-11/
  30. Winnier DA, Fourcaudot M, Norton L, Abdul-Ghani MA, Hu SL, Farook VS, Coletta DK, Kumar S, Puppala S, Chittoor G, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Lehman DM, Curran JE, Cromack DT, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). PLoS One. 2015 Apr 1;10(4):e0119941. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119941. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25830378; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4382323.

MANUSCRIPT REVIEW:

Genetic Analysis Workshop 19

Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

PLoS Genetics

Scientific Report

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Special Emphasis Panel/Scientific Review Group ZRG1 PSE-R (90) Cancer, Cardiovascular and Sleep Epidemiology Panel B; San Francisco, CA (9-10 Feb. 2015)

Member, Special Emphasis Panel/Scientific Review Group 2015/10 ZRG1 PSE-U (90) S Cancer, Cardiovascular and Sleep Epidemiology Panel B; Bethesda, MD (18-19 June 2015)

Member, Special Emphasis Panel/Scientific Review Group 2016/01 ZRG1 PSE-U (90) Cancer, Cardiovascular and Sleep Epidemiology Panel B; Washington, DC (19-20 Oct. 2015)

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Baylor College of Medicine

Texas Biomedical Research Institute

UT Health Science Center San Antonio

Southwest Research Institute

University of Pennsylvania

Yale University

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
 P.I. A Genetic Study of Blood
Metabolites and Their
Relationship to Diabetes Risk		 09/01/2013 -
06/30/2017		 NIH/
NIDDK		 R01
DK099051		 917,652
 P.I. 2/2 - An Integrative Genetic
Investigation of Schizophrenia		 07/21/2011 -
04/30/2016
(N/C ext. to
04/30/2017)		 NIH/
NIMH		 R01
MH094116		 61,943
 P.I.
(UTRGV)		 Gene Expression in an African
American Schizophrenia
Dataset		 07/12/2012 -
06/30/2016		 NIH/
NIMH
(Northshore)		 R01
MH098059		 113,735
 Co-
Inv		 Whole Genome Sequencing to
Identify Causal Genetic
Variants Influencing CVD Risk		 04/15/2012 -
03/31/2017		 NIH/
NHLBI		 R01
HL113323		 ---
 Co-
Inv		 Discovery of Functional
Variants in Type 2 Diabetes
Genes in Mexican Americans		 05/01/2015 -
04/30/2019		 NIH/
NIDDK		 U01
DK085524		 ---
Professor, Department of Human Genetics
Statistical Genetics, Genetic Epidemiology
Email: harald.goring@utrgv.edu
San Antonio - SSATC 320.07

Christopher P. Jenkinson

Professor
Phone: 956-665-6474
Email: christopher.jenkinson@utrgv...
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Christopher P. Jenkinson

EDUCATION:

1993 Ph.D. Biochemistry University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

1986 M.Sc. Biochemistry University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Jenkinson’s research broadly encompasses biochemistry and molecular biology and currently molecular genetics of complex multifactorial diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome (MS) and related metabolic disorders. The primary focus of his research is the identification of the molecular factors underlying these complex multifactorial diseases. These represent a vast frontier of genetic research and have generally proven refractory to most of our current cutting-edge methods. Despite enormous progress over the past decade in defining DNA variants and genes which are associated with these disorders, there remains a perplexing problem where combined DNA variation across dozens of genes derived from large population samples has failed to account for a significant fraction of phenotypic heritability. To date, examination of rare variants using specialized variant arrays and whole genome sequencing has not resolved this problem. It appears increasingly likely that much of the missing information may lie in regulatory regions contained in non-coding regions of the genome that comprise 98.5% of the genome, and which are widely transcribed. In a recently published review, Dr. Jenkinson proposed association of genome-wide gene expression or transcriptomics may provide a more useful technique than other genome-wide approaches and should provide a valuable and necessary bridge between the genotype and the phenotype. Dr. Jenkinson’s own recent transcriptomic studies analyzed gene expression simultaneously in multiple human tissues from lean and obese Mexican American subjects (skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and peripheral blood) and examined association with multiple deep metabolic phenotypes derived from euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps and oral glucose tolerance tests. These studies were funded by his grants “Express” (VA) and “Discover” (NIH). Participants were selected from the family-based VAGES study (VA and NIH). These investigations identified a candidate gene, alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B), whose expression is strongly associated with measures of obesity and insulin resistance in human abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue. This finding has since been replicated in two other large studies in different ancestry groups: (1) The NIDDK Pima Indian study in Arizona; and (2) Europeans from the TwinsUK study. Preliminary investigations in Dr. Jenkinson’s lab suggest that this gene, which is differentially expressed in obese and lean individuals, may metabolize endogenous ethanol produced by the gut microbiome, thereby influencing energy regulation in adipose tissue. A second major focus of Dr. Jenkinson’s work is the development of versatile human cell-based systems for testing the causative role and mechanistic action of genetic variants discovered using the other association-based approaches mentioned above. This work is key to translating correlation into causation and currently lags far behind variant discovery. For example, the ADH1B investigations have been extended to human subcutaneous adipose primary cell cultures. This will ultimately provide a valuable pipeline for mechanistic functional analysis of adipose-specific genes and variants obtained from association studies. As noted above, for the vast majority of such variants and genes, strong associations remain to be rigorously evaluated for functional relevance. To further these activities, in 2015 Dr. Jenkinson completed the establishment of a fully operational molecular genetics laboratory at the ERAHC for the study of obesity, T2D and related complex genetic disorders. This lab is operated in close coordination with colleagues, Drs. Duggirala and Mummidi, and intersects with their research projects.

BOOK CHAPTERS:

  1. Arya R, Puppala S, Farook VS, Chittoor G, Jenkinson CP, Blangero J, Hale DE, Duggirala R, Almasy L. Mapping of susceptibility genes for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome in human populations. Pp. 181-246. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams- Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.
  2. T2D-GENES web portal and knowledgebase for results from human genetic association studies of type 2 diabetes and related traits, built as part of the T2D-GENES consortium with funding and support from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). http://www.type2diabetesgenetics.org/
  3. Jenkinson CP, Genome Expression Omnibus (GEO). A public functional genomics data repository supporting MIAME-compliant data submissions. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/ Accession ID: GSE64567 Transcriptomic identification of genes for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in a Mexican American population sample drawn from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES) 

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Jenkinson CP, Göring HH, Arya R, Blangero J, Duggirala R, DeFronzo RA. Transcriptomics in type 2 diabetes: Bridging the gap between genotype and phenotype. Genom Data. 2015 Dec 17;8:25-36. doi: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.001. eCollection 2016 Jun. PubMed PMID: 27114903; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4832048.
  2. Arya R, del Rincon I, Farook VS, Restrepo JF, Winnier DA, Fourcaudot MJ, Battafarano DF, Almeida M, Kumar S, Curran JE, Jenkinson CP, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Escalante A. Genetic variants influencing joint damage in Mexican Americans and European Americans with rheumatoid arthritis. Genet Epidemiol. 2015 Dec;39(8):678-88. doi: 10.1002/gepi.21938. Epub 2015 Oct 26. PubMed PMID: 26498133.
  3. Farook VS, Reddivari L, Chittoor G, Puppala S, Arya R, Fowler SP, Hunt KJ, Curran JE, Comuzzie AG, Lehman DM, Jenkinson CP, Lynch JL, DeFronzo RA, Blangero J, Hale DE, Duggirala R, Vanamala J. Metabolites as novel biomarkers for childhood obesity-related traits in Mexican-American children. Pediatr Obes. 2015 Aug;10(4):320-7. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.270. Epub 2014 Nov 18. PubMed PMID: 25405847; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4436034.
  4. Curran JE, Kumar S, Cromack DT, Hu SL, Coletta DK, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). (2015) World Biomedical Frontiers, Diabetes and Obesity Section ISSN; published online. ISSN: 2328-0166. http://biomedfrontiers.org/diabetes-obesity-2015-9-11/
  5. Winnier DA, Fourcaudot M, Norton L, Abdul-Ghani MA, Hu SL, Farook VS, Coletta DK, Kumar S, Puppala S, Chittoor G, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Lehman DM, Curran JE, Cromack DT, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). PLoS One. 2015 Apr 1;10(4):e0119941. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119941. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25830378; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4382323.

GRANT REVIEW:

Diabetes UK

UTHSCSA: IIMS/CTSA Pilot Project Scientific Review Panel

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Ad hoc Member, Steering Committee, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) Genetic Exploration by Next-Generation Sequencing in Ethnic Samples (T2D-GENES) Consortium (NIDDK)

Ad hoc Member, Steering Committee, Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) T2D-GENES Consortium (NIDDK)

Ad hoc Member, AMP T2D GENES Annotation Data Working Group

Ad Hoc Member of Tuberculosis Consortium (for investigation of TB and TB-T2D interactions in Mexican American cohorts in the Texas/Mexican border region).

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Harvard University

Texas Biomedical Research Institute

UT Health Science Center San Antonio

National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive & Kidney Disorders, NIH

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
Co-
Inv.		 Discovery of Functional
Variants in Type 2 Diabetes
Genes in Mexican Americans		 05/01/2015 -
04/30/2019		 NIH/
NIDDK		 U01
DK085524		 ---
Professor
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: christopher.jenkinson@utrgv.edu
Edinburg Research Education Building, Room 2.102 1214 W. Schunior Street Edinburg, TX. 78541
Phone: 956-665-6474

Michael Mahaney

Professor, Department of Human Genetics
Email: michael.mahoney@utrgv.edu
Read More

Michael Mahaney

EDUCATION:

1984 Ph.D. Biological Anthropology/Population Genetics The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

1979 M.A. Anthropology The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Mahaney possesses a broad educational background in genetics, human physiological and anatomical variation, and comparative primate biology, as well as over 30 years of post-graduate research experience in quantitative biology and statistical genetics. His research since the late 1980s has focused on dissection of the genetic architecture of complex traits related to human growth, development, aging and variation in susceptibility, severity, and progression of common diseases – especially cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis – in humans and nonhuman primates. Characterized succinctly, Dr. Mahaney’s research focus is on identifying pleiotropic networks of disease risk factors, i.e., multiple traits affected by the same gene or set of genes, and gene co-expression networks, sets of genes exhibiting coordinated expression and effects on diseases or their risk factors. During 2015, most of Dr. Mahaney’s research-related efforts were directed toward analyses of data collected in three major, NIH-funded studies: 1) a study of the effects of an atherogenic diet, high in cholesterol and fat, on patterns of gene expression in endothelial cells and the effects of these genes on atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular disease endpoints in pedigreed baboons; 2) the effects of genes on co-variation between biomarkers of calcification and atherosclerosis risk factors in Mexican American families from San Antonio, Texas; and 3) a study of the effects of genes on patterns of co-variation among measures of bone quality and biomarkers of calcium metabolism and bone formation/turnover in members of the Jirel population of eastern Nepal. Dr. Mahaney has collaborated with investigators at several institutions in studies of biomedically relevant traits with implications for understanding the genetics of development and the evolution of our species. One study used evidence of pleiotropic effects of genes on tooth size and shape to infer mechanisms of development from which we can infer patterns of evolution in primates. Another study found evidence for genes that influenced patterns of brain folding. Both studies used data from a pedigreed population of baboons.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Wong G, Weir JM, Barlow CK, Dyer TD, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Glahn DC, Magliano DJ, Zimmet P, Shaw J, Williams-Blangero S, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Meikle PJ, Curran JE. Lipidomic risk score independently and cost-effectively predicts risk of future type 2 diabetes: Results from diverse cohorts. Lipids Health Dis. 2016 Apr 4;15(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0234-3. PubMed PMID: 27044508; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4820916.
  2. Chittoor G, Kent JW Jr, Almeida M, Puppala S, Farook VS, Cole SA, Haack K, Göring HH, MacCluer JW, Curran JE, Carless MA, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Lehman DM, Duggirala R, Comuzzie AG, Blangero J, Voruganti VS. GWAS and transcriptional analysis prioritize ITPR1 and CNTN4 for a serum uric acid 3p26 QTL in Mexican Americans. BMC Genomics. 2016 Apr 2;17(1):276. doi: 10.1186/s12864-016-2594-5. PubMed PMID: 27039371; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4818944.
  3. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Neary JL, Cole SA, Kent JW, Kumar S, Glahn DC, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Carless MA. Genome- and epigenome-wide association study of hypertriglyceridemic waist in Mexican American families. Clin Epigenetics. 2016 Jan 20;8:6. doi: 10.1186/s13148-016-0173-x. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 26798409; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4721061.
  4. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.
  5. Kulkarni H, Kos MZ, Neary J, Dyer TD, Kent JW Jr, Göring HH, Cole SA, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Curran JE, Blangero J, Carless MA. Novel epigenetic determinants of type 2 diabetes in Mexican-American families. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Sep 15;24(18):5330-44. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv232. Epub 2015 Jun 22. PubMed PMID: 26101197; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4550817.
  6. Blackburn A, Almeida M, Dean A, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Abraham LJ, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kumar S, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie A, Williams-Blangero S, Blangero J, Lehman DM, Göring HH. Effects of copy number variable regions on local gene expression in white blood cells of Mexican Americans. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Sep;23(9):1229-35. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.280. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PubMed PMID: 25585699; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4538210.
  7. Williams KD, Blangero J, Mahaney MC, Subedi J, Jha B, Williams-Blangero S, Towne B. Axial quantitative ultrasound assessment of pediatric bone quality in eastern Nepal. Osteoporos Int. 2015 Sep;26(9):2319-28. doi: 10.1007/s00198-015-3115-0. Epub 2015 Apr 11. PubMed PMID: 25862355.
  8. Atkinson EG, Rogers J, Mahaney MC, Cox LA, Cheverud JM. Cortical folding of the primate brain: An interdisciplinary examination of the genetic architecture, modularity, and evolvability of a significant neurological trait in pedigreed baboons (Genus Papio). Genetics. 2015 Jun;200(2):651-65. doi: 10.1534/genetics.114.173443. Epub 2015 Apr 14. PubMed PMID: 25873632; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4492386.
  9. Johnson Z, Brent L, Alvarenga JC, Comuzzie AG, Shelledy W, Ramirez S, Cox L, Mahaney MC, Huang YY, Mann JJ, Kaplan JR, Rogers J. Genetic influences on response to novel objects and dimensions of personality in Papio baboons. Behav Genet. 2015 Mar;45(2):215-27. doi: 10.1007/s10519-014-9702-6. Epub 2015 Jan 21. PubMed PMID: 25604451; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4349218.

INTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Member, Admissions Committee, UTRGV School of Medicine

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Neurological, Aging, and Musculoskeletal Epidemiology (NAME) Study Section, (term: 2014-18).

Member, TransOmics Precision Medicine Whole Genome Sequencing (NHLBI TOPMed WGS) Consortium, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Member, Phenotype Harmonization Committee, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Member, Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Committee (ELSI), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Harvard University

Stony Brook University, NY

University of California--Berkeley

South Dakota State University

Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
Co-
Inv.		 Whole Genome Sequencing to
Identify Causal Genetic
Variants Influencing CVD Risk		 04/15/2012 -
03/31/2017		 NIH/
NHLBI		 R01
HL113323		 ---
Professor, Department of Human Genetics
Genetic Epidemiology
Email: michael.mahoney@utrgv.edu
Brownsville - BCHGB 1.406

John VandeBerg

Professor, Department of Human Genetics
Email: john.vandeberg@utrgv.edu
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John VandeBerg

EDUCATION:

1975 Ph.D. Genetics Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

1970 B.Sc.(Hons) Genetics La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Genes and environment both have profound effects on the behavioral and physiological characteristics of individuals. The premise of one of the foci of Dr. VandeBerg’s research is that by identifying specific genes and environmental factors that influence physiological characteristics, and understanding the mechanisms by which they exert their individual and collective effects, we can develop new strategies for preventing and treating human diseases. Currently, this research focus is centered on the laboratory opossum model of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia. Some individuals are genetically susceptible and others are genetically resistant to this condition, which causes atherosclerosis as well as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We have identified a mutant gene (allele 1 of ABCB4), which when present in two copies (homozygous) in an individual, inhibits cholesterol secretion from the liver into the bile, causing hypercholesterolemia. We are now working toward identifying an alternative pathway for eliminating cholesterol from the body, and variant genes that make some ABCB4 1/1 homozygotes but not others able to evade hypercholesterolemia. A major accomplishment during 2015 was the physical transfer of approximately 1,000 laboratory opossums from San Antonio to University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (Brownsville campus) and the adaptation of the breeding stocks to their new home. Another focus of Dr. VandeBerg’s research is Chagas disease, a parasitic disease that is common in some parts of Latin America, and is naturally present in Texas and other southern states. There is no vaccine and no highly effective drug for Chagas disease which is manifested as heart disease that often leads to death. One current project involves testing a novel vaccine in monkeys for efficacy in preventing infection after experimental infection by inoculation of the parasites. Another project involves testing three drug regimens for treating monkeys that became naturally infected while living in outdoor housing in San Antonio and identifying biomarkers that indicate whether an individual has been cleared of all parasites by the drug treatment. This project is expected to lead to improvements in assessing the efficacy of novel drugs in clinical trials with people.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Nair HB, Baker R, Owston MA, Escalona R, Dick EJ, VandeBerg JL, Nickisch KJ. An efficient model of human endometriosis by induced unopposed estrogenicity in baboons. Oncotarget. 2016 Mar 8;7(10):10857-69. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.7516. PubMed PMID: 26908459.
  2. Sathler-Avelar R, Vitelli-Avelar DM, Mattoso-Barbosa AM, Perdigão-de-Oliveira M, Costa RP, Elói-Santos SM, Gomes Mde S, Amaral LR, Teixeira-Carvalho A, Martins-Filho OA, Dick EJ Jr, Hubbard GB, VandeBerg JF, VandeBerg JL. Phenotypic features of circulating leukocytes from non-human primates naturally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi resemble the major immunological findings observed in human chagas disease. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016 Jan 25;10(1):e0004302. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004302. eCollection 2016 Jan. PubMed PMID: 26808481; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4726540.
  3. Cura CI, Duffy T, Lucero RH, Bisio M, Péneau J, Jimenez-Coello M, Calabuig E, Gimenez MJ, Valencia Ayala E, Kjos SA, Santalla J, Mahaney SM, Cayo NM, Nagel C, Barcán L, Málaga Machaca ES, Acosta Viana KY, Brutus L, Ocampo SB, Aznar C, Cuba Cuba CA, Gürtler RE, Ramsey JM, Ribeiro I, VandeBerg JL, Yadon ZE, Osuna A, Schijman AG. Multiplex real-time PCR assay using TaqMan probes for the identification of Trypanosoma cruzi DTUs in biological and clinical samples. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015 May 19;9(5):e0003765. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003765. eCollection 2015 May. PubMed PMID: 25993316; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4437652.
  4. Porto A, Sebastião H, Pavan SE, VandeBerg JL, Marroig G, Cheverud JM. Rate of evolutionary change in cranial morphology of the marsupial genus Monodelphis is constrained by the availability of additive genetic variation. J Evol Biol. 2015 Apr;28(4):973-85. doi: 10.1111/jeb.12628. Epub 2015 Apr 17. PubMed PMID: 25818173; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4405477.
  5. Shi Q, VandeBerg JL. Experimental approaches to derive CD34+ progenitors from human and nonhuman primate embryonic stem cells. Am J Stem Cells. 2015 Mar 15;4(1):32-7. eCollection 2015. Review. PubMed PMID: 25973329; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4396158.

INTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Faculty Senate, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Member, Promotion, Tenure, and Appointment Committee, UTRGV School of Medicine

Member, Graduate Curriculum Committee, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Chair, External Advisory Board, Caribbean Primate Research Center

Chief Scientific Director, Better Life Better Research Foundation

Affiliate Scientist, Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Drugs for Neglected Diseases, Geneva Switzerland

Loyola University

University of Georgia

Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil

Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
P.I. Evaluation of PCR and Other
Biomarkers for Assessing
Parsitological Cure in Chagas
Disease		 2012 - 2016 Wellcome
Trust
(DNDi)		 Contract - - -
P.I. Novel Vaccine for Chagas
Disease: Efficacy Testing in
Baboons		 2014 - 2016 Robert J.
Kleberg, Jr.
and Helen
C. Kleberg
Found.		 Grant - - -
Professor, Department of Human Genetics
Molecular Genetics, Animal Model Developement
Email: john.vandeberg@utrgv.edu
Brownsville - BCHGB 1.404

Sarah Williams-Blangero

Director, South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute Chair, Department of Human Genetics
Email: sarah.williams-blangero@utr...
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Sarah Williams-Blangero

EDUCATION:

1987 Ph.D. Biological Anthropology Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

1984 M.A. Biological Anthropology Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Williams-Blangero’s research program focuses on the genetic epidemiology of common complex diseases in minority populations. She has overseen the development of a number of major human population cohorts for long-term genetic research. In Nepal, she has worked with a single pedigree including more than 2,600 members of a small ethnic group, the Jirel population. This population has been the center of collaborative research projects on parasitic disease, childhood growth and development, osteoporosis and bone-related traits, dental traits, and psychiatric disease. The genetic determinants of ocular health and disease, including diabetic retinopathy, are currently under study in the Jirel population. Dr. Williams-Blangero also works with a study population of approximately 2000 residents from a rural area of Brazil that has very high rates of Trypansoma cruzi infection. T. cruzi is the parasitic cause of Chagas disease, which is associated with progressive cardiomyopathy. Chagas disease is found throughout Latin America and is a border health issue relevant to the Rio Grande Valley. As the Director of the South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, Dr. Williams-Blangero is now expanding her research on the genetics determinants of diabetes and obesity and related disorders in Mexican Americans.

BOOK(S):

Duggirala R, Almasy L, Williams-Blangero S, Paul S, Kole C (eds). Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non- Human Primates, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015. BOOK CHAPTER(S): Williams-Blangero S, Blangero J. The utility of genomics for studying primate biology. Pp. 1-6. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates. R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Wong G, Weir JM, Barlow CK, Dyer TD, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Glahn DC, Magliano DJ, Zimmet P, Shaw J, Williams-Blangero S, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Meikle PJ, Curran JE. Lipidomic risk score independently and cost-effectively predicts risk of future type 2 diabetes: Results from diverse cohorts. Lipids Health Dis. 2016 Apr 4;15(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0234-3. PubMed PMID: 27044508; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4820916.
  2. Williams KD, Subedi J, Jha B, Blangero J, Williams-Blangero S, Towne B. Quantitative physical activity assessment of children and adolescents in a rural population from Eastern Nepal. Am J Hum Biol. 2016 Jan-Feb;28(1):129-37. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.22762. Epub 2015 Jul 16. PubMed PMID: 26179444.
  3. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.
  4. Peters MJ, Joehanes R, Pilling LC, Schurmann C, Conneely KN, Powell J, Reinmaa E, Sutphin GL, Zhernakova A, Schramm K, Wilson YA, Kobes S, Tukiainen T; NABEC/UKBEC Consortium, Ramos YF, Göring HH, Fornage M, Liu Y, Gharib SA, Stranger BE, De Jager PL, Aviv A, Levy D, Murabito JM, Munson PJ, Huan T, Hofman A, Uitterlinden AG, Rivadeneira F, van Rooij J, Stolk L, Broer L, Verbiest MM, Jhamai M, Arp P, Metspalu A, Tserel L, Milani L, Samani NJ, Peterson P, Kasela S, Codd V, Peters A, Ward-Caviness CK, Herder C, Waldenberger M, Roden M, Singmann P, Zeilinger S, Illig T, Homuth G, Grabe HJ, Völzke H, Steil L, Kocher T, Murray A, Melzer D, Yaghootkar H, Bandinelli S, Moses EK, Kent JW, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Williams-Blangero S, Westra HJ, McRae AF, Smith JA, Kardia SL, Hovatta I, Perola M, Ripatti S, Salomaa V, Henders AK, Martin NG, Smith AK, Mehta D, Binder EB, Nylocks KM, Kennedy EM, Klengel T, Ding J, Suchy-Dicey AM, Enquobahrie DA, Brody J, Rotter JI, Chen YD, Houwing-Duistermaat J, Kloppenburg M, Slagboom PE, Helmer Q, den Hollander W, Bean S, Raj T, Bakhshi N, Wang QP, Oyston LJ, Psaty BM, Tracy RP, Montgomery GW, Turner ST, Blangero J, Meulenbelt I, Ressler KJ, Yang J, Franke L, Kettunen J, Visscher PM, Neely GG, Korstanje R, Hanson RL, Prokisch H, Ferrucci L, Esko T, Teumer A, van Meurs JB, Johnson AD. The transcriptional landscape of age in human peripheral blood. Nat Commun. 2015 Oct 22;6:8570. doi: 10.1038/ncomms9570. PubMed PMID: 26490707; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4639797.
  5. Blackburn A, Almeida M, Dean A, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Abraham LJ, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kumar S, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie A, Williams-Blangero S, Blangero J, Lehman DM, Göring HH. Effects of copy number variable regions on local gene expression in white blood cells of Mexican Americans. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Sep;23(9):1229-35. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.280. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PubMed PMID: 25585699; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4538210.
  6. Williams KD, Blangero J, Mahaney MC, Subedi J, Jha B, Williams-Blangero S, Towne B. Axial quantitative ultrasound assessment of pediatric bone quality in eastern Nepal. Osteoporos Int. 2015 Sep;26(9):2319-28. doi: 10.1007/s00198-015-3115-0. Epub 2015 Apr 11. PubMed PMID: 25862355.

INTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Promotion, Tenure, and Appointment Committee, UTRGV School of Medicine

Member, Research Deans Council, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Discipline Coordinator for Research, UTRGV School of Medicine

Member, Search Committee for Population Health Faculty, UTRGV School of Medicine

Chair, Search Committee for Chair of Department of Internal Medicine, UTRGV School of Medicine

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Member, Editorial Board, International Journal of Human Genetics

Member, Medical Integration Working Group, Unidos Contra Diabetes

Member, UT Women’s Senior Leadership Network

Member, University of Texas Diabetes Blue Ribbon Panel

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, Nepal

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Wright State University, Dayton, OH

Caribbean Primate Research Center, Puerto Rico

Miami University, Oxford, OH

Chitwan Medical College, Nepal

UTHealth School of Public Health

Grant Support
Role Project Title Geant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
P.I.
(MPI)		 Genetic Epidemiology of
Ocular Health and Disease		 06/01/2014 -
05/31/2019		 NIH/NEI R01
EY024384		 1,000,184
P.I.
(UTRGV)		 Establishment and Maintenance
of a Closed CPRC SPF Colony		 05/01/2011 -
04/30/2016		 NIH/OD
(Univ. of
Puerto
Rico)		 U42
OD011128		 19,436
P.I.
(UTRGV)		 Caribbean Primate Research
Center		 01/15/2016 -
11/30/2020		 NIH/OD
(Univ. of
Puerto
Rico)		 P40
OD012217		 34,091
Director, South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute Chair, Department of Human Genetics
Genetic Epidemiology, Family Studies
Email: sarah.williams-blangero@utrgv.edu
McAllen - MBMRF 2.220 / Brownsville- BCHGB 1.408

Matthew Johnson

Associate Professor
Phone: 956-882-7504
Email: matthew.johnson@utrgv.edu
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Matthew Johnson

EDUCATION:

2005 Ph.D. Molecular Genetics Griffith University, Australia

1999 Grad. Dipl. Biotechnology Queensland University of Technology, Australia

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Johnson’s research program centers on the identification of genetic mechanisms influencing normal and diseased ocular biology. Blindness and poor vision are major public health concerns across the globe. It is estimated that approximately 10% of the world’s population suffer from some degree of visual impairment, and the costs associated with treating or managing all eye-related disorders is estimated to run in the billions of dollars. Poor ocular health significantly impacts independence and quality of life. The major causes of visual impairment – refractive error, cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinopathy/macular edema, and glaucoma – progressively worsen with age if left undetected. Additionally, diabetes significantly influences the development of retinopathy/macular edema, and is known to influence cataract and glaucoma risk. The negative impact that visual impairment places on society is likely to increase given an aging global population in addition to an increase in diabetes incidence. Dr. Johnson is involved in a project that aims to identify novel AMD genetic susceptibility loci and refine knowledge of existing loci in a cohort of Caucasian families. This project is in collaboration with Dr. Michael Klein at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon, and involves linkage and association analyses of data from 1,200 individuals belonging to 150 families using a dense set of genome-wide genetic markers (3.5 million SNPs). The research team processed genome sequence data from approximately 100 individuals, all with AMD, from 20 families to objectively prioritize rare genetic variation with a major effect on AMD susceptibility. Dr. Johnson led a pilot study to document the prevalence of and characterize the genetic mechanisms influencing age- and diabetes-related ocular disorders in a cohort of Mexican American families. The San Antonio Family Eye Study is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Kent L. Anderson, of the Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The families for this study are being drawn from the longitudinal San Antonio Family Studies. To date, the 63 individuals who have been recruited and have undergone a comprehensive eye exam, detailed medical history questionnaire, and provided a blood sample for biochemical assessment of lipid levels, and metabolic, inflammatory and immune-related biomarkers. All recruited individuals have existing whole-genome sequence data that is providing the framework for preliminary genetic analyses against the newly ascertained ocular traits. A notable feature observed early in the study is that the families have a high incidence of glaucoma suspect (~65%). Dr. Johnson leads, with Sarah Williams-Blangero, an NIH/NEI funded project that is characterizing the genetic mechanisms of normal ocular biology, refractive error, and cataract, in the Jirel ethnic group of Nepal, the Jiri Eye Study. The project is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Suman S. Thapa, at the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology in Kathmandu, Nepal, and involves the recruitment of 2,000 individuals who belong to one complex pedigree. All individuals are undergoing a comprehensive eye exam, completing a medical history questionnaire, and providing a blood sample for DNA sequencing (exome/genome), RNA sequencing, and biochemical assessment of lipid levels.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Kaartokallio T, Lokki AI, Peterson H, Kivinen K, Hiltunen L, Salmela E, Lappalainen T, Maanselkä P, Heino S, Knuutila S, Sayed A, Poston L, Brennecke SP, Johnson MP, Morgan L, Moses EK, Kere J, Laivuori H. Preeclampsia does not share common risk alleles in 9p21 with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. Ann Med. 2016 Apr 25:1- 7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27111527.
  2. Chittoor G, Kent JW Jr, Almeida M, Puppala S, Farook VS, Cole SA, Haack K, Göring HH, MacCluer JW, Curran JE, Carless MA, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Lehman DM, Duggirala R, Comuzzie AG, Blangero J, Voruganti VS. GWAS and transcriptional analysis prioritize ITPR1 and CNTN4 for a serum uric acid 3p26 QTL in Mexican Americans. BMC Genomics. 2016 Apr 2;17(1):276. doi: 10.1186/s12864-016-2594-5. PubMed PMID: 27039371; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4818944.
  3. Fritsche LG, Igl W, Bailey JN, Grassmann F, Sengupta S, Bragg-Gresham JL, Burdon KP, Hebbring SJ, Wen C, Gorski M, Kim IK, Cho D, Zack D, Souied E, Scholl HP, Bala E, Lee KE, Hunter DJ, Sardell RJ, Mitchell P, Merriam JE, Cipriani V, Hoffman JD, Schick T, Lechanteur YT, Guymer RH, Johnson MP, Jiang Y, Stanton CM, Buitendijk GH, Zhan X, Kwong AM, Boleda A, Brooks M, Gieser L, Ratnapriya R, Branham KE, Foerster JR, Heckenlively JR, Othman MI, Vote BJ, Liang HH, Souzeau E, McAllister IL, Isaacs T, Hall J, Lake S, Mackey DA, Constable IJ, Craig JE, Kitchner TE, Yang Z, Su Z, Luo H, Chen D, Ouyang H, Flagg K, Lin D, Mao G, Ferreyra H, Stark K, von Strachwitz CN, Wolf A, Brandl C, Rudolph G, Olden M, Morrison MA, Morgan DJ, Schu M, Ahn J, Silvestri G, Tsironi EE, Park KH, Farrer LA, Orlin A, Brucker A, Li M, Curcio CA, Mohand-Saïd S, Sahel JA, Audo I, Benchaboune M, Cree AJ, Rennie CA, Goverdhan SV, Grunin M, Hagbi-Levi S, Campochiaro P, Katsanis N, Holz FG, Blond F, Blanché H, Deleuze JF, Igo RP Jr, Truitt B, Peachey NS, Meuer SM, Myers CE, Moore EL, Klein R, Hauser MA, Postel EA, Courtenay MD, Schwartz SG, Kovach JL, Scott WK, Liew G, Tan AG, Gopinath B, Merriam JC, Smith RT, Khan JC, Shahid H, Moore AT, McGrath JA, Laux R, Brantley MA Jr, Agarwal A, Ersoy L, Caramoy A, Langmann T, Saksens NT, de Jong EK, Hoyng CB, Cain MS, Richardson AJ, Martin TM, Blangero J, Weeks DE, Dhillon B, van Duijn CM, Doheny KF, Romm J, Klaver CC, Hayward C, Gorin MB, Klein ML, Baird PN, den Hollander AI, Fauser S, Yates JR, Allikmets R, Wang JJ, Schaumberg DA, Klein BE, Hagstrom SA, Chowers I, Lotery AJ, Léveillard T, Zhang K, Brilliant MH, Hewitt AW, Swaroop A, Chew EY, Pericak-Vance MA, DeAngelis M, Stambolian D, Haines JL, Iyengar SK, Weber BH, Abecasis GR, Heid IM. A large genome-wide association study of age-related macular degeneration highlights contributions of rare and common variants. Nat Genet. 2016 Feb;48(2):134-43. doi: 10.1038/ng.3448. Epub 2015 Dec 21. PubMed PMID: 26691988; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4745342.
  4. Zhou Y, Zhu G, Charlesworth JC, Simpson S Jr, Rubicz R, Göring HH, Patsopoulos NA, Laverty C, Wu F, Henders A, Ellis JJ, van der Mei I, Montgomery GW, Blangero J, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Martin NG, Nyholt DR, Taylor BV; ANZgene consortium. Genetic loci for Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-1 are associated with risk of multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler. 2016 Jan 27. pii: 1352458515626598. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26819262.
  5. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.
  6. Rubicz R, Yolken R, Drigalenko E, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kent J Jr, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Cole SA, Fowler SP, Arya R, Puppala S, Almasy L, Moses EK, Kraig E, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Leach CT, Göring HH. Genome-wide genetic investigation of serological measures of common infections. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Nov;23(11):1544-8. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.24. Epub 2015 Mar 11. PubMed PMID: 25758998; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4613484.
  7. Peters MJ, Joehanes R, Pilling LC, Schurmann C, Conneely KN, Powell J, Reinmaa E, Sutphin GL, Zhernakova A, Schramm K, Wilson YA, Kobes S, Tukiainen T; NABEC/UKBEC Consortium, Ramos YF, Göring HH, Fornage M, Liu Y, Gharib SA, Stranger BE, De Jager PL, Aviv A, Levy D, Murabito JM, Munson PJ, Huan T, Hofman A, Uitterlinden AG, Rivadeneira F, van Rooij J, Stolk L, Broer L, Verbiest MM, Jhamai M, Arp P, Metspalu A, Tserel L, Milani L, Samani NJ, Peterson P, Kasela S, Codd V, Peters A, Ward-Caviness CK, Herder C, Waldenberger M, Roden M, Singmann P, Zeilinger S, Illig T, Homuth G, Grabe HJ, Völzke H, Steil L, Kocher T, Murray A, Melzer D, Yaghootkar H, Bandinelli S, Moses EK, Kent JW, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Williams-Blangero S, Westra HJ, McRae AF, Smith JA, Kardia SL, Hovatta I, Perola M, Ripatti S, Salomaa V, Henders AK, Martin NG, Smith AK, Mehta D, Binder EB, Nylocks KM, Kennedy EM, Klengel T, Ding J, Suchy-Dicey AM, Enquobahrie DA, Brody J, Rotter JI, Chen YD, Houwing-Duistermaat J, Kloppenburg M, Slagboom PE, Helmer Q, den Hollander W, Bean S, Raj T, Bakhshi N, Wang QP, Oyston LJ, Psaty BM, Tracy RP, Montgomery GW, Turner ST, Blangero J, Meulenbelt I, Ressler KJ, Yang J, Franke L, Kettunen J, Visscher PM, Neely GG, Korstanje R, Hanson RL, Prokisch H, Ferrucci L, Esko T, Teumer A, van Meurs JB, Johnson AD. The transcriptional landscape of age in human peripheral blood. Nat Commun. 2015 Oct 22;6:8570. doi: 10.1038/ncomms9570. PubMed PMID: 26490707; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4639797.
  8. Blackburn A, Almeida M, Dean A, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Abraham LJ, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kumar S, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie A, Williams-Blangero S, Blangero J, Lehman DM, Göring HH. Effects of copy number variable regions on local gene expression in white blood cells of Mexican Americans. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Sep;23(9):1229-35. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.280. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PubMed PMID: 25585699; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4538210.
  9. Wood AR, Tuke MA, Nalls M, Hernandez D, Gibbs JR, Lin H, Xu CS, Li Q, Shen J, Jun G, Almeida M, Tanaka T, Perry JR, Gaulton K, Rivas M, Pearson R, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Göring HH, Duggirala R, Blangero J, McCarthy MI, Bandinelli S, Murray A, Weedon MN, Singleton A, Melzer D, Ferrucci L, Frayling TM. Whole-genome sequencing to understand the genetic architecture of common gene expression and biomarker phenotypes. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Mar 1;24(5):1504-12. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddu560. Epub 2014 Nov 6. PubMed PMID: 25378555; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4321449.
  10. Yong HE, Melton PE, Johnson MP, Freed KA, Kalionis B, Murthi P, Brennecke SP, Keogh RJ, Moses EK. Genomewide transcriptome directed pathway analysis of maternal pre-eclampsia susceptibility genes. PLoS One. 2015 May 26;10(5):e0128230. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128230. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 26010865; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4444079.

MANUSCRIPT REVIEW:

PLoS One

INTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Institutional Biosafety Committee, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Member, Translational Research Seminar Series Committee, UT Houston School of Public Health/University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Undergraduate Mentor, UT Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health summer research program.

Associate Professor (Adjoint), Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Member, International Age-related Macular Degeneration Genomics Consortium

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Oregon Health & Sciences University

Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, Kathmandu

Wright State University, Dayton, OH

Miami University, Oxford, OH

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
P.I.
(MPI)		 Genetic Epidemiology of
Ocular Health and Disease		 06/01/2014 -
05/31/2019		 NIH/NEI R01
EY024384		 1,000,184
P.I. Defining the Genetic
Architecture of Macular
Degeneration in Mexican
American Families		 03/17/2015 -
08/31/2015		 Max and
Minnie
Tomerlin
Voelcker
Fund		 Grant
(Young
Investigator
Award)		 188,229
P.I.
(UTRGV)		 A Joint Linkage/Association
Strategy to Interrogate AMD
Genetic Susceptibility		 09/01/2015 -
08/31/2016		 NIH/NEI
(OHSU)		 R01
EY021532		 72,181
Associate Professor
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: matthew.johnson@utrgv.edu
Brownsville Campus, Luis Colom Modular Bldg., Room 105 2700 E. Jackson Street Brownsville, TX. 78520
Phone: 956-882-7504

Thomas D. Dyer

Professor/Research
Phone: 210-585-9769
Email: thomas.dyer@utrgv.edu
Read More

Thomas D. Dyer

EDUCATION:

2002 Ph.D. Computer Science University of Texas at San Antonio

1986 M.S. Computer Science University of Texas at San Antonio

RESEARCH FOCUS:

The focus of Dr. Dyer’s research is on computational methods for disease-related gene detection and gene identification. STDOI investigators developed SOLAR, a genetic analysis package that has over 5000 users. Dr. Dyer’s work focuses in part on refinement and further development of algorithms that will enhance the utility of SOLAR for genetic research. Another area of long-term research interest is the use of computer simulation approaches for testing statistical genetic methods.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Hodgson K, Almasy L, Knowles EE, Kent JW, Curran JE, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Pearlson GD, Krystal JH, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant loci for addiction and anxiety. Eur Psychiatry. 2016 Jun 15;36:47-54. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.03.004. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27318301.
  2. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Wong G, Weir JM, Barlow CK, Dyer TD, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Glahn DC, Magliano DJ, Zimmet P, Shaw J, Williams-Blangero S, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Meikle PJ, Curran JE. Lipidomic risk score independently and cost-effectively predicts risk of future type 2 diabetes: Results from diverse cohorts. Lipids Health Dis. 2016 Apr 4;15(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0234-3. PubMed PMID: 27044508; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4820916.
  3. Franke B, Stein JL, Ripke S, Anttila V, Hibar DP, van Hulzen KJ, Arias-Vasquez A, Smoller JW, Nichols TE, Neale MC, McIntosh AM, Lee P, McMahon FJ, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Mattheisen M, Andreassen OA, Gruber O, Sachdev PS, Roiz-Santiañez R, Saykin AJ, Ehrlich S, Mather KA, Turner JA, Schwarz E, Thalamuthu A, Yao Y, Ho YY, Martin NG, Wright MJ; Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium; Psychosis Endophenotypes International Consortium; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2; Enigma Consortium, O'Donovan MC, Thompson PM, Neale BM, Medland SE, Sullivan PF. Genetic influences on schizophrenia and subcortical brain volumes: Large-scale proof of concept. Nat Neurosci. 2016 Mar;19(3):420-31. doi: 10.1038/nn.4228. Epub 2016 Feb 1. PubMed PMID: 26854805; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4852730.
  4. Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Genome-wide linkage on chromosome 10q26 for a dimensional scale of major depression. J Affect Disord. 2016 Feb;191:123-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.11.012. Epub 2015 Nov 17. PubMed PMID: 26655122; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4715913.
  5. Clark MM, Blangero J, Dyer TD, Sobel EM, Sinsheimer JS. The Quantitative-MFG Test: A linear mixed effect model to detect maternal-offspring gene interactions. Ann Hum Genet. 2016 Jan;80(1):63-80. doi: 10.1111/ahg.12137. Epub 2015 Nov 15. PubMed PMID: 26567478; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4715557.
  6. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Neary JL, Cole SA, Kent JW, Kumar S, Glahn DC, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Carless MA. Genome- and epigenome-wide association study of hypertriglyceridemic waist in Mexican American families. Clin Epigenetics. 2016 Jan 20;8:6. doi: 10.1186/s13148-016-0173-x. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 26798409; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4721061.
  7. Mathias SR, Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, McKay DR, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Recurrent major depression and right hippocampal volume: A bivariate linkage and association study. Hum Brain Mapp. 2016 Jan;37(1):191-202. doi: 10.1002/hbm.23025. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26485182.
  8. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.
  9. Sprooten E, Gupta CN, Knowles EE, McKay DR, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Calhoun VD, Blangero J, Turner JA, Glahn DC. Genome-wide significant linkage of schizophrenia-related neuroanatomical trait to 12q24. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2015 Dec;168(8):678-86. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32360. Epub 2015 Oct 5. PubMed PMID: 26440917; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4639444.
  10. Kim YJ, Lee J, Kim BJ; T2D-Genes Consortium, Park T. A new strategy for enhancing imputation quality of rare variants from next-generation sequencing data via combining SNP and exome chip data. BMC Genomics. 2015 Dec 29;16:1109. doi: 10.1186/s12864-015-2192-y. PubMed PMID: 26715385; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4696174.
  11. Rubicz R, Yolken R, Drigalenko E, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kent J Jr, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Cole SA, Fowler SP, Arya R, Puppala S, Almasy L, Moses EK, Kraig E, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Leach CT, Göring HH. Genome-wide genetic investigation of serological measures of common infections. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Nov;23(11):1544-8. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.24. Epub 2015 Mar 11. PubMed PMID: 25758998; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4613484.
  12. Kulkarni H, Kos MZ, Neary J, Dyer TD, Kent JW Jr, Göring HH, Cole SA, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Curran JE, Blangero J, Carless MA. Novel epigenetic determinants of type 2 diabetes in Mexican-American families. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Sep 15;24(18):5330-44. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv232. Epub 2015 Jun 22. PubMed PMID: 26101197; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4550817.
  13. Blackburn A, Almeida M, Dean A, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Abraham LJ, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kumar S, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie A, Williams-Blangero S, Blangero J, Lehman DM, Göring HH. Effects of copy number variable regions on local gene expression in white blood cells of Mexican Americans. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Sep;23(9):1229-35. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.280. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PubMed PMID: 25585699; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4538210.
  14. Huang YS, Ramensky V, Service SK, Jasinska AJ, Jung Y, Choi OW, Cantor RM, Juretic N, Wasserscheid J, Kaplan JR, Jorgensen MJ, Dyer TD, Dewar K, Blangero J, Wilson RK, Warren W, Weinstock GM, Freimer NB. Sequencing strategies and characterization of 721 vervet monkey genomes for future genetic analyses of medically relevant traits. BMC Biol. 2015 Jun 20;13:41. doi: 10.1186/s12915-015-0152-2. PubMed PMID: 26092298; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4494155.
  15. Hibar DP, Stein JL, Renteria ME, Arias-Vasquez A, Desrivières S, Jahanshad N, Toro R, Wittfeld K, Abramovic L, Andersson M, Aribisala BS, Armstrong NJ, Bernard M, Bohlken MM, Boks MP, Bralten J, Brown AA, Chakravarty MM, Chen Q, Ching CR, Cuellar-Partida G, den Braber A, Giddaluru S, Goldman AL, Grimm O, Guadalupe T, Hass J, Woldehawariat G, Holmes AJ, Hoogman M, Janowitz D, Jia T, Kim S, Klein M, Kraemer B, Lee PH, Olde Loohuis LM, Luciano M, Macare C, Mather KA, Mattheisen M, Milaneschi Y, Nho K, Papmeyer M, Ramasamy A, Risacher SL, Roiz-Santiañez R, Rose EJ, Salami A, Sämann PG, Schmaal L, Schork AJ, Shin J, Strike LT, Teumer A, van Donkelaar MM, van Eijk KR, Walters RK, Westlye LT, Whelan CD, Winkler AM, Zwiers MP, Alhusaini S, Athanasiu L, Ehrlich S, Hakobjan MM, Hartberg CB, Haukvik UK, Heister AJ, Hoehn D, Kasperaviciute D, Liewald DC, Lopez LM, Makkinje RR, Matarin M, Naber MA, McKay DR, Needham M, Nugent AC, Pütz B, Royle NA, Shen L, Sprooten E, Trabzuni D, van der Marel SS, van Hulzen KJ, Walton E, Wolf C, Almasy L, Ames D, Arepalli S, Assareh AA, Bastin ME, Brodaty H, Bulayeva KB, Carless MA, Cichon S, Corvin A, Curran JE, Czisch M, de Zubicaray GI, Dillman A, Duggirala R, Dyer TD, Erk S, Fedko IO, Ferrucci L, Foroud TM, Fox PT, Fukunaga M, Gibbs JR, Göring HH, Green RC, Guelfi S, Hansell NK, Hartman CA, Hegenscheid K, Heinz A, Hernandez DG, Heslenfeld DJ, Hoekstra PJ, Holsboer F, Homuth G, Hottenga JJ, Ikeda M, Jack CR Jr, Jenkinson M, Johnson R, Kanai R, Keil M, Kent JW Jr, Kochunov P, Kwok JB, Lawrie SM, Liu X, Longo DL, McMahon KL, Meisenzahl E, Melle I, Mohnke S, Montgomery GW, Mostert JC, Mühleisen TW, Nalls MA, Nichols TE, Nilsson LG, Nöthen MM, Ohi K, Olvera RL, Perez-Iglesias R, Pike GB, Potkin SG, Reinvang I, Reppermund S, Rietschel M, Romanczuk-Seiferth N, Rosen GD, Rujescu D, Schnell K, Schofield PR, Smith C, Steen VM, Sussmann JE, Thalamuthu A, Toga AW, Traynor BJ, Troncoso J, Turner JA, Valdés Hernández MC, van 't Ent D, van der Brug M, van der Wee NJ, van Tol MJ, Veltman DJ, Wassink TH, Westman E, Zielke RH, Zonderman AB, Ashbrook DG, Hager R, Lu L, McMahon FJ, Morris DW, Williams RW, Brunner HG, Buckner RL, Buitelaar JK, Cahn W, Calhoun VD, Cavalleri GL, Crespo-Facorro B, Dale AM, Davies GE, Delanty N, Depondt C, Djurovic S, Drevets WC, Espeseth T, Gollub RL, Ho BC, Hoffmann W, Hosten N, Kahn RS, Le Hellard S, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Müller-Myhsok B, Nauck M, Nyberg L, Pandolfo M, Penninx BW, Roffman JL, Sisodiya SM, Smoller JW, van Bokhoven H, van Haren NE, Völzke H, Walter H, Weiner MW, Wen W, White T, Agartz I, Andreassen OA, Blangero J, Boomsma DI, Brouwer RM, Cannon DM, Cookson MR, de Geus EJ, Deary IJ, Donohoe G, Fernández G, Fisher SE, Francks C, Glahn DC, Grabe HJ, Gruber O, Hardy J, Hashimoto R, Hulshoff Pol HE, Jönsson EG, Kloszewska I, Lovestone S, Mattay VS, Mecocci P, McDonald C, McIntosh AM, Ophoff RA, Paus T, Pausova Z, Ryten M, Sachdev PS, Saykin AJ, Simmons A, Singleton A, Soininen H, Wardlaw JM, Weale ME, Weinberger DR, Adams HH, Launer LJ, Seiler S, Schmidt R, Chauhan G, Satizabal CL, Becker JT, Yanek L, van der Lee SJ, Ebling M, Fischl B, Longstreth WT Jr, Greve D, Schmidt H, Nyquist P, Vinke LN, van Duijn CM, Xue L, Mazoyer B, Bis JC, Gudnason V, Seshadri S, Ikram MA; Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; CHARGE Consortium; EPIGEN; IMAGEN; SYS, Martin NG, Wright MJ, Schumann G, Franke B, Thompson PM, Medland SE. Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures. Nature. 2015 Apr 9;520(7546):224-9. doi: 0.1038/nature14101. Epub 2015 Jan 21. PubMed PMID: 25607358; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4393366.
  16. Williams AL, Genovese G, Dyer T, Altemose N, Truax K, Jun G, Patterson N, Myers SR, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Reich D, Przeworski M; T2D-GENES Consortium. Non-crossover gene conversions show strong GC bias and unexpected clustering in humans. Elife. 2015 Mar 25;4. doi: 10.7554/eLife.04637. PubMed PMID: 25806687; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4404656.
  17. Knowles EE, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Sprooten E, Carless MA, Curran JE, Almeida MA, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Pleiotropic locus for emotion recognition and amygdala volume identified using univariate and bivariate linkage. Am J Psychiatry. 2015 Feb 1;172(2):190-9. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14030311. Epub 2014 Oct 31. PubMed PMID: 25322361; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4314438.
  18. Glahn DC, Williams JT, McKay DR, Knowles EE, Sprooten E, Mathias SR, Curran JE, Kent JW Jr, Carless MA, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Woolsey MD, Winkler AM, Olvera RL, Kochunov P, Fox PT, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J. Discovering schizophrenia endophenotypes in randomly ascertained pedigrees. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Jan 1;77(1):75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.06.027. Epub 2014 Jul 21. PubMed PMID: 25168609; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4261014.
  19. Dager AD, McKay DR, Kent JW Jr, Curran JE, Knowles E, Sprooten E, Göring HH, Dyer TD, Pearlson GD, Olvera RL, Fox PT, Lovallo WR, Duggirala R, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Shared genetic factors influence amygdala volumes and risk for alcoholism. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015 Jan;40(2):412-20. doi: 10.1038/npp.2014.187. Epub 2014 Jul 31. PubMed PMID: 25079289; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4443955.
  20. Curran JE, Kumar S, Cromack DT, Hu SL, Coletta DK, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). (2015) World Biomedical Frontiers, Diabetes and Obesity Section ISSN; published online. ISSN: 2328-0166. http://biomedfrontiers.org/diabetes-obesity-2015-9-11/
  21. Winnier DA, Fourcaudot M, Norton L, Abdul-Ghani MA, Hu SL, Farook VS, Coletta DK, Kumar S, Puppala S, Chittoor G, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Lehman DM, Curran JE, Cromack DT, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). PLoS One. 2015 Apr 1;10(4):e0119941. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119941. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25830378; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4382323.

MANUSCRIPT REVIEW:

Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, T2D-GENES (Type 2 Diabetes Genetic Exploration by Next-generation sequencing in multi-Ethnic Samples) consortium

Member, ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium

Member, CHARGE (Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genetic Epidemiology) Consortium

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

University of California Los Angeles

University of Maryland

University of Tasmania

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
Co-
Inv.		 Whole Genome Sequencing to
Identify Causal Genetic
Variants Influencing CVD		 04/15/2012 -
03/31/2017		 NIH/
NHLBI		 R01
HL113323		 - - -
Co-
Inv.		 Genetic Analysis of Common
Diseases: An Evaluation		 04/01/1983 -
07/31/2017		 NIH/
NIGMS		 R01
GM031575		 - - -
Professor/Research
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: thomas.dyer@utrgv.edu
San Antonio Technology Center, Room 320.08 3463 Magic Drive San Antonio, TX 78229
Phone: 210-585-9769

Hermant R. Kilkarni

Associate Professor/Research
Phone: 956-882-7512
Email: hemant.kulkarni@utrgv.edu
Read More

Hermant R. Kilkarni

EDUCATION:

1986 M.B.B.S. Medicine and Surgery Nagpur University, Nagpur, India

1989 M.D. (PSM) Preventive and Social Medicine Nagpur University, Nagpur, India

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Kulkarni’s research focus is on robust biostatistical analysis of high-volume, big data emerging from genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic and lipidomic studies of complex diseases. His primary research activities involve identification of genetic variants and other -omic factors associated with hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome in Mexican Americans. Currently, he also is working on the importance of type 2 diabetes for critical care in hospital settings. He is collaborating with investigators from Washington University, St Louis (who have outcome data on over 800,000 patients) and with researchers at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia (who have outcome data for over a million patients) to determine the effects of type 2 diabetes on outcomes for patients in intensive care. Dr. Kulkarni also is working to establish a study of the genetics of type 2 diabetes in Sindhi families in India.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Wong G, Weir JM, Barlow CK, Dyer TD, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Glahn DC, Magliano DJ, Zimmet P, Shaw J, Williams-Blangero S, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Meikle PJ, Curran JE. Lipidomic risk score independently and cost-effectively predicts risk of future type 2 diabetes: Results from diverse cohorts. Lipids Health Dis. 2016 Apr 4;15(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0234-3. PubMed PMID: 27044508; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4820916.
  2. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Neary JL, Cole SA, Kent JW, Kumar S, Glahn DC, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Carless MA. Genome- and epigenome-wide association study of hypertriglyceridemic waist in Mexican American families. Clin Epigenetics. 2016 Jan 20;8:6. doi: 10.1186/s13148-016-0173-x. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 26798409; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4721061.
  3. Mamtani M, Curran JE, Blangero J, Kulkarni H. Association of urinary phthalates with self-reported eye affliction/retinopathy in individuals with diabetes: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2010. J Diabetes Res. 2016;2016:7269896. doi: 10.1155/2016/7269896. Epub 2015 Dec 20. PubMed PMID: 26798652; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4698956.
  4. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.
  5. Kulkarni H, Kos MZ, Neary J, Dyer TD, Kent JW Jr, Göring HH, Cole SA, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Curran JE, Blangero J, Carless MA. Novel epigenetic determinants of type 2 diabetes in Mexican-American families. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Sep 15;24(18):5330-44. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv232. Epub 2015 Jun 22. PubMed PMID: 26101197; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4550817.

MANUSCRIPT REVIEW:

Diabetologia

Journal of Interventional Cardiology

Journal of Investigative Medicine

PLoS ONE

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Trustee and President, Lata Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur, India

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Lata Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur, India

Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Associate Professor/Research
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: hemant.kulkarni@utrgv.edu
Brownsville Campus, Luis Colom Modular Bldg., Room 115 2700 E. Jackson Street Brownsville, TX. 78520
Phone: 956-882-7512

Sandra L. Laston

Associate Professor/Research
Phone: 956-882-7490
Email: sandra.laston@utrgv.edu
Read More

Sandra L. Laston

EDUCATION:

1992 Ph.D. Medical Anthropology
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

1987 M.A. Medical Anthropology
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

1972 Diploma Nursing
Idabelle Firestone School of Nursing, Akron, OH

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Laston’s research efforts are focused on oversight of large-scale genetic studies conducted with human populations. With
specialized expertise in medical anthropology and nursing, Dr. Laston has directed the fieldwork for studies of a number of
minority populations including Alaskan Eskimos and Zuni Indians. Her current research is focused on ocular health and
disease in the Jirel population of eastern Nepal. A member of the UTRGV institutional review board, Dr. Laston has strong
interests in the design of human subjects research projects and cross-cultural research.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Vazquez-Vidal I, Chittoor G, Laston S, Puppala S, Kayani Z, Mody K, Comuzzie AG, Cole SA, Voruganti VS.
    Assessment of cardiovascular disease risk factors in a genetically homogenous population of Parsi Zoroastrians in the
    United States: A pilot study. Am J Hum Biol. 2016 May;28(3):440-3. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.22834. Epub 2016 Jan 28.
    PubMed PMID: 26819065.
  2. Gribble MO, Voruganti VS, Cole SA, Haack K, Balakrishnan P, Laston SL, Tellez-Plaza M, Francesconi KA,
    Goessler W, Umans JG, Thomas DC, Gilliland F, North KE, Franceschini N, Navas-Acien A. Linkage analysis of
    urine arsenic species patterns in the Strong Heart Family Study. Toxicol Sci. 2015 Nov;148(1):89-100. doi:
    10.1093/toxsci/kfv164. Epub 2015 Jul 23. PubMed PMID: 26209557; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4731407.
  3. Voruganti VS, Laston S, Haack K, Mehta NR, Cole SA, Butte NF, Comuzzie AG. Serum uric acid concentrations and
    SLC2A9 genetic variation in Hispanic children: The Viva La Familia Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Apr;101(4):725-
    32. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.095364. Epub 2015 Jan 28. PubMed PMID: 25833971; PubMed Central PMCID:
    PMC4381775.
  4. Tsai CW, North KE, Tin A, Haack K, Franceschini N, Saroja Voruganti V, Laston S, Zhang Y, Best LG, MacCluer
    JW, Beaty TH, Navas-Acien A, Kao WH, Howard BV. Both rare and common variants in PCSK9 influence plasma
    low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in American Indians. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Feb;100(2):E345-9. doi:
    10.1210/jc.2014-3340. Epub 2014 Nov 20. PubMed PMID: 25412415; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4318886/
  5. Laston SL, Voruganti VS, Haack K, Shah VO, Bobelu A, Bobelu J, Ghahate D, Harford AM, Paine SS, Tentori F,
    Cole SA, MacCluer JW, Comuzzie AG, Zager PG. Genetics of kidney disease and related cardiometabolic phenotypes
    in Zuni Indians: The Zuni Kidney Project. Front Genet. 2015 Jan 30;6:6. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00006. eCollection
    2015. PubMed PMID: 25688259; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4311707.
  6. Ebbesson SO, Voruganti VS, Higgins PB, Fabsitz RR, Ebbesson LO, Laston S, Harris WS, Kennish J, Umans BD,
    Wang H, Devereux RB, Okin PM, Weissman NJ, MacCluer JW, Umans JG, Howard BV. Fatty acids linked to
    cardiovascular mortality are associated with risk factors. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2015 Aug 12;74:28055. doi:
    10.3402/ijch.v74.28055. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 26274054; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4536775.

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Baylor College of Medicine

Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Wright State University, Dayton, OH

Miami University, Oxford, OH

Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
Co-
Inv.		 Genetic Epidemiology of
Ocular Health and Disease		 06/01/2014 -
05/31/2019		 NIH/NEI R01
EY024384		 - - -
Associate Professor/Research
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: sandra.laston@utrgv.edu
Brownsville Campus, Luis Colom Modular Bldg., Room 108 2700 E. Jackson Street Brownsville, TX. 78520
Phone: 956-882-7490

Srinivas Mummidi

Associate Professor/Research
Phone: 956-665-6423
Email: srinivas.mummidi@utrgv.edu
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Srinivas Mummidi

EDUCATION:

1996 Ph.D. Immunobiology
Iowa State University, Ames, OH

1990 M.S. Veterinary Immunology
Indian Veterinary Research Institute

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Mummidi’s long-term research focus is on understanding the functional mechanisms of single nucleotide polymorphisms
modulate gene expression in the context of disease pathogenesis. Dr. Mummidi has conducted extensive research on the
regulation of genes involved in inflammation to define gene structure, identify cis-regulatory elements and regions, and
determine how polymorphisms disrupt DNA-protein interactions leading to changes in gene expression with implications for
disease pathogens.
Dr. Mummidi’s ongoing research examines the impact of 3’UTR polymorphisms on the stability and translatability of
transcripts encoded by clinically relevant genes involved in inflammatory/immune response. These studies will use state-ofthe-
art technologies such as genome engineering and induced pluripotent stem cells.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Gornalusse GG, Mummidi S, Gaitan AA, Jimenez F, Ramsuran V, Picton A, Rogers K, Manoharan MS, Avadhanam
    N, Murthy KK, Martinez H, Molano Murillo A, Chykarenko ZA, Hutt R, Daskalakis D, Shostakovich-Koretskaya L,
    Abdool Karim S, Martin JN, Deeks SG, Hecht F, Sinclair E, Clark RA, Okulicz J, Valentine FT, Martinson N,
    Tiemessen CT, Ndung'u T, Hunt PW, He W, Ahuja SK. Epigenetic mechanisms, T-cell activation, and CCR5 genetics
    interact to regulate T-cell expression of CCR5, the major HIV-1 coreceptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Aug
    25;112(34):E4762-71. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1423228112. Epub 2015 Aug 11. PubMed PMID: 26307764; PubMed
    Central PMCID: PMC4553789.
  2. Somanna NK, Yariswamy M, Garagliano JM, Siebenlist U, Mummidi S, Valente AJ, Chandrasekar B. Aldosteroneinduced
    cardiomyocyte growth, and fibroblast migration and proliferation are mediated by TRAF3IP2. Cell Signal.
    2015 Oct;27(10):1928-38. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2015.07.001. Epub 2015 Jul 4. PubMed PMID: 26148936.

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Academic Editor, PLoS ONE

Member, Editorial Board, World Journal of Medical Genetics

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

University of Missouri School of Medicine

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
P.I. Impact of disease associated
noncoding polymorphisms on
post-transcriptional gene
regulation		 04/01/2016 -
03/31/2020		 NIH/
NIAID		 R01
AI119131		 336,700
Associate Professor/Research
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: srinivas.mummidi@utrgv.edu
Edinburg Research Education Building, Room 2.120 1214 West Schunior Street Edinburg, TX 78541
Phone: 956-665-6423

Juan Carlos Alvarenga

Associate Professor of Research, Primary and Community Care ISU
Email: juan.lopezalvarenga@utrgv.edu
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Juan Carlos Alvarenga

EDUCATION:

2003 D.Sc. Diabetes & Molecular Biology National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

1997 M.Sc. Diabetes National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

1989 M.D. Medicine Universidad Evangelica de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Lopez-Alvarenga’s research focus is on complex diseases such as diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Dr. Lopez-Alvarenga has significant experience in whole genome scanning approaches. He conducted genetic studies of Omani and Alaskan populations and participated in several studies of metabolic disease involving non-human primates. While conducting research in Mexico, he performed insulin clamps and muscle biopsies in adults and children to measure the effect of treatment to insulin resistance. Dr. Lopez-Alvarenga’s latest research focuses on tuberculosis associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and genetics of susceptibility to gallbladder stones.

GRANT REVIEW:

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT)

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Member, Microbiota Consortium, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

Statistical Advisor, Clinical and Translational Investigation Editorial Board

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Hospital General de Mexico, Mexico City

Universidad México Americana del Norte A.C., Ciudad Reynosa, México (UMAN)

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

Associate Professor of Research, Primary and Community Care ISU
Metabolic Disease, Biostatistics
Email: juan.lopezalvarenga@utrgv.edu
Edinburg - ETBLC 2.142

Rector Arya

Assistant Professor/Research
Phone: 956-665-6476
Email: rector.arya@utrgv.edu
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Rector Arya

EDUCATION:

1999 Ph.D. Biological Anthropology (Population Genetics) University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

1990 M.Ed. Education (Research Methodology & Educational Statistics) Annamalia University, Annamalai Nagar, India

1982 M.A. Anthropology Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and metabolic syndrome (MS) are complex diseases causing considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. These diseases and related traits have multifactorial inheritance patterns, and are influenced by multiple genes, environmental factors, and their interactions. There have been continued efforts to localize and identify genetic variants that contribute to susceptibility to these diseases, although knowledge of actual causal variants influencing these traits is extremely limited. Dr. Arya’s research focuses on genetic epidemiological studies of common complex diseases including obesity/abdominal obesity, T2D, metabolic syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney disease, gallbladder disease, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in Mexican Americans and Europeans. His areas of expertise include the study of genetic-environmental (i.e., dietary intake and physical activity) factors and their interactions, and the identification of disease susceptibility genes using genome-wide linkage and association analyses, candidate gene studies, and interventions studies.

BOOK CHAPTER(S):

Arya R, Puppala S, Farook VS, Chittoor G, Jenkinson CP, Blangero J, Hale DE, Duggirala R, Almasy L. Mapping of susceptibility genes for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome in human populations. Pp. 181-246. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates, R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Jenkinson CP, Göring HH, Arya R, Blangero J, Duggirala R, DeFronzo RA. Transcriptomics in type 2 diabetes: Bridging the gap between genotype and phenotype. Genom Data. 2015 Dec 17;8:25-36. doi: 10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.001. eCollection 2016 Jun. PubMed PMID: 27114903; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4832048.
  2. Arya R, Del Rincon I, Farook VS, Restrepo JF, Winnier DA, Fourcaudot MJ, Battafarano DF, Almeida M, Kumar S, Curran JE, Jenkinson CP, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Escalante A. Genetic variants influencing joint damage in Mexican Americans and European Americans with rheumatoid arthritis. Genet Epidemiol. 2015 Dec;39(8):678-88. doi: 10.1002/gepi.21938. Epub 2015 Oct 26. PubMed PMID: 26498133.
  3. Rubicz R, Yolken R, Drigalenko E, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kent J Jr, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Cole SA, Fowler SP, Arya R, Puppala S, Almasy L, Moses EK, Kraig E, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Leach CT, Göring HH. Genome-wide genetic investigation of serological measures of common infections. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Nov;23(11):1544-8. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.24. Epub 2015 Mar 11. PubMed PMID: 25758998; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4613484.
  4. Farook VS, Reddivari L, Chittoor G, Puppala S, Arya R, Fowler SP, Hunt KJ, Curran JE, Comuzzie AG, Lehman DM, Jenkinson CP, Lynch JL, DeFronzo RA, Blangero J, Hale DE, Duggirala R, Vanamala J. Metabolites as novel biomarkers for childhood obesity-related traits in Mexican-American children. Pediatr Obes. 2015 Aug;10(4):320-7. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.270. Epub 2014 Nov 18. PubMed PMID: 25405847; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4436034.
  5. Winnier DA, Fourcaudot M, Norton L, Abdul-Ghani MA, Hu SL, Farook VS, Coletta DK, Kumar S, Puppala S, Chittoor G, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Lehman DM, Curran JE, Cromack DT, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). PLoS One. 2015 Apr 1;10(4):e0119941. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119941. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25830378; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4382323.
  6. Curran JE, Kumar S, Cromack DT, Hu SL, Coletta DK, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). (2015) World Biomedical Frontiers, Diabetes and Obesity Section ISSN; published online. ISSN: 2328-0166. http://biomedfrontiers.org/diabetes-obesity-2015-9-11/
  7. T2D-GENES web portal and knowledgebase for results from human genetic association studies of type 2 diabetes and related traits, built as part of the T2D-GENES Consortium with funding and support from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). http://www.type2diabetesgenetics.org/.
  8. Horikoshi M, Pasquali L, Wiltshire S, Huyghe JR, Mahajan A, Asimit JL, Ferreira T, Locke AE, Robertson NR, Wang X, Sim X, Fujita H, Hara K, Young R, Zhang W, Choi S, Chen H, Kaur I, Takeuchi F, Fontanillas P, Thuillier D, Yengo L, Below JE, Tam CH, Wu Y, Abecasis G, Altshuler D, Bell GI, Blangero J, Burtt NP, Duggirala R, Florez JC, Hanis CL, Seielstad M, Atzmon G, Chan JC, Ma RC, Froguel P, Wilson JG, Bharadwaj D, Dupuis J, Meigs JB, Cho YS, Park T, Kooner JS, Chambers JC, Saleheen D, Kadowaki T, Tai ES, Mohlke KL, Cox NJ, Ferrer J, Zeggini E, Kato N, Teo YY, Boehnke M, McCarthy MI, Morris AP; T2D-GENES Consortium, et al. Transancestral finemapping of four type 2 diabetes susceptibility loci highlights potential causal regulatory Mechanisms (Arya R, collaborator). Hum Mol Genet. 2016 Feb 23. pii: ddw048. [Epub ahead of print].

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Alternate Member, Institutional Review Board (IRB), IRB-1, UTHSCSA

Member, Editorial Board, Frontiers of Nutrition and Research

External Reviewer, Pennsylvania Department of Health Translational Genomics Peer Review Board, Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Member, Amp-T2D Consortium Phenotype Harmonization Working Group

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Baylor College of Medicine

Pennsylvania State University

Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

Harvard University

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Wright State University

Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
Co-
Inv.		 Discovery of Functional
Variants in Type 2 Diabetes
Genes in Mexican Americans		 05/01/2015 -
04/30/2016		 NIH/
NIDDK		 U01
DK085524		 - - -
Co-
Inv.		 Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes in
Indian Populations: US-India
Collaboration Project		 04/01/2016 -
03/31/2018		 NIH/
NIDDK		 R21
DK105913		 - - -
Assistant Professor/Research
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: rector.arya@utrgv.edu
Edinburg Research Education Building, Room 2.110 1214 West Schunior Street Edinburg, TX 78541
Phone: 956-665-6476

Vincent Diego

Associate Professor of Research, Department of Human Genetics
Email: vincent.diego@utrgv.edu
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Vincent Diego

EDUCATION:

2005 Ph.D. Anthropology, Human Statistical Genetics State University of New York at Binghamton

2001 M.A. Anthropology, Human Population Biology State University of New York at Binghamton

RESEARCH FOCUS: Dr. Diego’s research has been in two general areas: 1) aging in humans and 2) gene-environment interaction (GEI) analysis and theoretical development. Dr. Diego performs research on biological aging in participants of the San Antonio Family Heart Study and is currently developing approaches to study the role of entropy computed over DNA sequences and gene networks in aging and senescence. Dr. Diego also developed novel methods for the analysis of GEI in relation to multivariate environments. Using these methods to analyze data from a large study of risk for obesity in children, Dr. Diego found significant GEI in relation to dietary multivariate environments. Dr. Diego continues to work on the theoretical development of a novel approach to modeling GEI for gene networks.

BOOK CHAPTER(S):

Diego VP, Kent JW, Blangero J, Familial studies: Genetic inferences. In: International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition), edited by JD Wright. Elsevier, Oxford, 2015, Pages 715-724, ISBN 9780080970875, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.82029-2. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080970868820292)

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

Diego VP, de Chaves RN, Blangero J, de Souza MC, Santos D, Gomes TN, dos Santos FK, Garganta R, Katzmarzyk PT, Maia JA. Sex-specific genetic effects in physical activity: Results from a quantitative genetic analysis. BMC Med Genet. 2015 Aug 1;16:58. doi: 10.1186/s12881-015-0207-9. PubMed PMID: 26231751; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4557754.

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

University of Porto, Portugal

Associate Professor of Research, Department of Human Genetics
Statistical Genetics, Genetic Epidemiology, Biostatistics
Email: vincent.diego@utrgv.edu
Brownsville - BBRHB 2.233

Mark Z. Kos

Assistant Professor/Research
Phone: (956) 655-XXXX
Email: 210-585-9772
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Mark Z. Kos

EDUCATION:

2008 Ph.D. Biological Anthropology University of Kansas

2006 M.A. Anthropology University of Kansas

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Kos’ research interests are in the fields of statistical genetics and genetics of complex diseases, with a focus on psychiatric disorders. In collaboration with Dr. Laura Almasy, his research centers on two family-based studies: 1) the Multiplex- Multigenerational Genetic Investigation of Schizophrenia (MGI); and 2) the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). Examining whole exome sequence data from European-American families obtained from MGI, two genes involved in AMPA receptor trafficking in the post-synapse, SYNPO and WWC1, were found to be significantly associated with neurocognitive impairment and schizophrenia risk. Analyses of the MGI exome data set revealed other schizophrenia risk loci, including ones belonging to lipid metabolism pathways, raising interesting questions regarding the role of compromised brain metabolism in psychiatric disorders. Dr. Kos’ research also examines the genetic architecture of electrical activity in the brain as it relates to alcohol dependence (AD). Using genome-wide association (GWA) data available from COGA, polygenic scores based on aggregated genotypes were found to be significant predictors of AD in independent samples, with preliminary results showing a significant enrichment of genes involved in the metabolism of arachidonic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is abundant in the brain and is believed to modulate various neuronal activities. BOOK CHAPTER(S): Almasy L, Kos MZ, Blangero J. Linkage mapping: Localizing the genes that shape human variation. Pp. 33-52. In: Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates. R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C Kole (eds), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. 2015.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Kos MZ, Carless MA, Peralta J, Blackburn A, Almeida M, Roalf D, Pogue-Geile MF, Prasad K, Gur RC, Nimgaonkar V, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Glahn DC, Blangero J, Gur RE, Almasy L. Exome sequence data from multigenerational families implicate AMPA receptor trafficking in neurocognitive impairment and schizophrenia risk. Schizophr Bull. 2016 Mar;42(2):288-300. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbv135. Epub 2015 Sep 24. PubMed PMID: 26405221; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4753604.
  2. Kulkarni H, Kos MZ, Neary J, Dyer TD, Kent JW Jr, Göring HH, Cole SA, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Curran JE, Blangero J, Carless MA. Novel epigenetic determinants of type 2 diabetes in Mexican-American families. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Sep 15;24(18):5330-44. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv232. Epub 2015 Jun 22. PubMed PMID: 26101197; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4550817.

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Indiana University School of Medicine

Texas Biomedical Research Institute Washington University School of Medicine

Rutgers University University of Pennsylvania Yale University School of Medicine

State University of New York University of Pittsburgh


Grant Support
Role Project Title Grant Period Funding Agency Grant # Total
Res.
Sci.		 A Neurobehavioral Family
Study of Schizophrenia		 04/01/2000 -
12/31/2018		 NIH/ NIMH R01
MH061622		 - - -
Res.
Sci.		 Collaborative Study on the
Genetics of Alcoholism		 12/31/2014 -
08/31/2016		 NIH /NIAAA
[Res. Found.,
State Univ. of
N.Y. SUNY)]		 U10
AA008401		 - - -
Assistant Professor/Research
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: 210-585-9772
San Antonio Technology Center, Room 320.07 3463 Magic Drive San Antonio, TX 78229
Phone: (956) 655-XXXX
Phone Alt: mark.kos@utrgv.edu

Satish Kumar

Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics
Email: satish.kumar@utrgv.edu
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Satish Kumar

EDUCATION:

2003 Ph.D. Anthropology University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

1996 M.Sc. Anthropology (Specialization: Physical/Biological Anthropology) University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

1994 B.Sc. Botany (Honours), Zoology and Chemistry University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Kumar’s research focuses on the identification and characterization of genes involved in human common complex diseases. Specifically, he uses induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) based disease models for finding genes influencing human common complex diseases, particularly where assessment of genetic influence is difficult due to environmental factors and medical interventions. Dr. Kumar utilizes a rich supply of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) established using the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from more than 1400 Mexican American participants of our San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS). Whole genome sequence data and extensive phenotypic data for common complex human diseases are available for most of these SAFHS participants. The large, well characterized LCL resource provides a unique opportunity to generate iPSCs from any of these individuals. Dr. Kumar optimized an efficient LCL to iPSC reprogramming method, achieving 100% reprogramming success and high reprogramming efficiency (~50-200 colonies/million nucleofected cells). Using this optimized reprogramming protocol he has generated iPSC lines for a variety of ongoing studies at STDOI. In 2015, Dr. Kumar and his research colleagues standardized the iPSC validation protocols and performed validation assays on the generated iPSC lines. They also performed whole genome miRNA and mRNA analysis of six LCLs and their reprogrammed iPSCs to better understand the LCL to iPSC reprogramming process.

BOOK CHAPTER(S):

Kumar S, Kingsley C and DiStefano. The human genome project: where are we now and where are we going. Pp. 7-31. In Genome Mapping and Genomics in Human and Non-Human Primates. R Duggirala, L Almasy, S Williams-Blangero, S Paul, C. Kole (eds). Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2015.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Nicholson AM, Finch NA, Almeida M, Perkerson RB, van Blitterswijk M, Wojtas A, Cenik B, Rotondo S, Inskeep V, Almasy L, Dyer T, Peralta J, Jun G, Wood AR, Frayling TM, Fuchsberger C, Fowler S, Teslovich TM, Manning AK, Kumar S, Curran J, Lehman D, Abecasis G, Duggirala R, Pottier C, Zahir HA, Crook JE, Karydas A, Mitic L, Sun Y, Dickson DW, Bu G, Herz J, Yu G, Miller BL, Ferguson S, Petersen RC, Graff-Radford N, Blangero J, Rademakers R. Prosaposin is a regulator of progranulin levels and oligomerization. Nat Commun. 2016 Jun 30;7:11992. doi: 10.1038/ncomms11992. PubMed PMID: 27356620.
  2. Kumar S, Curran JE, Glahn DC, Blangero J. Utility of lymphoblastoid cell lines for induced pluripotent stem cell generation. Stem Cells Int. 2016;2016:2349261. doi: 10.1155/2016/2349261. Epub 2016 Jun 7. PubMed PMID: 27375745; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4914736.
  3. Traurig M, Hanson RL, Marinelarena A, Kobes S, Piaggi P, Cole S, Curran JE, Blangero J, Göring H, Kumar S, Nelson RG, Howard BV, Knowler WC, Baier LJ, Bogardus C. Analysis of SLC16A11 variants in 12,811 American Indians: Genotype-obesity interaction for Type 2 diabetes and an association with RNASEK expression. Diabetes. 2016 Feb;65(2):510-9. doi: 10.2337/db15-0571. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26487785; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4747458.
  4. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Neary JL, Cole SA, Kent JW, Kumar S, Glahn DC, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Carless MA. Genome- and epigenome-wide association study of hypertriglyceridemic waist in Mexican American families. Clin Epigenetics. 2016 Jan 20;8:6. doi: 10.1186/s13148-016-0173-x. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 26798409; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4721061.
  5. Arya R, Del Rincon I, Farook VS, Restrepo JF, Winnier DA, Fourcaudot MJ, Battafarano DF, Almeida M, Kumar S, Curran JE, Jenkinson CP, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Escalante A. Genetic variants influencing joint damage in Mexican Americans and European Americans with rheumatoid arthritis. Genet Epidemiol. 2015 Dec;39(8):678-88. doi: 10.1002/gepi.21938. Epub 2015 Oct 26. PubMed PMID: 26498133.
  6. Blackburn A, Almeida M, Dean A, Curran JE, Johnson MP, Moses EK, Abraham LJ, Carless MA, Dyer TD, Kumar S, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie A, Williams-Blangero S, Blangero J, Lehman DM, Göring HH. Effects of copy number variable regions on local gene expression in white blood cells of Mexican Americans. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Sep;23(9):1229-35. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.280. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PubMed PMID: 25585699; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4538210.
  7. Curran JE, Kumar S, Cromack DT, Hu SL, Coletta DK, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). (2015) World Biomedical Frontiers, Diabetes and Obesity Section ISSN; published online. ISSN: 2328-0166. http://biomedfrontiers.org/diabetes-obesity-2015-9-11/
  8. Winnier DA, Fourcaudot M, Norton L, Abdul-Ghani MA, Hu SL, Farook VS, Coletta DK, Kumar S, Puppala S, Chittoor G, Dyer TD, Arya R, Carless M, Lehman DM, Curran JE, Cromack DT, Tripathy D, Blangero J, Duggirala R, Göring HH, DeFronzo RA, Jenkinson CP. Transcriptomic identification of ADH1B as a novel candidate gene for obesity and insulin resistance in human adipose tissue in Mexican Americans from the Veterans Administration Genetic Epidemiology Study (VAGES). PLoS One. 2015 Apr 1;10(4):e0119941. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119941. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25830378; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4382323.

 

Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics
Stem Cell Biology, Molecular Genetics
Email: satish.kumar@utrgv.edu
McAllen - MBMRF 2.219

Manju Mamtani

Assistant Professor/Research
Phone: 956-882-7511
Email: manju.mamtani@utrgv.edu
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Manju Mamtani

EDUCATION:

2003 M.D. (PSM) Preventive and Social Medicine Nagpur University, Nagpur, India

1997 M.B.B.S. Medicine and Surgery Nagpur University, Nagpur, India

RESEARCH FOCUS:

Dr. Mamtani’s research interests are focused on the genetic and environmental determinants of type 2 diabetes. In particular, she has studied the value of waist circumference as a predictor of risk for type 2 diabetes based on studies in Asian Indians and Mexican Americans. She has approached this phenotype using case-control studies, family studies, genomic and epigenomic association studies. In addition, Dr. Mamtani is developing research projects in the area of gestational diabetes and is helping to establish a study of diabetes in Sindhi families in India.

PUBLICATIONS 01/2015 – 06/2016:

  1. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Wong G, Weir JM, Barlow CK, Dyer TD, Almasy L, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Glahn DC, Magliano DJ, Zimmet P, Shaw J, Williams-Blangero S, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Meikle PJ, Curran JE. Lipidomic risk score independently and cost-effectively predicts risk of future type 2 diabetes: Results from diverse cohorts. Lipids Health Dis. 2016 Apr 4;15(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0234-3. PubMed PMID: 27044508; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4820916.
  2. Mamtani M, Kulkarni H, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Neary JL, Cole SA, Kent JW, Kumar S, Glahn DC, Mahaney MC, Comuzzie AG, Almasy L, Curran JE, Duggirala R, Blangero J, Carless MA. Genome- and epigenome-wide association study of hypertriglyceridemic waist in Mexican American families. Clin Epigenetics. 2016 Jan 20;8:6. doi: 10.1186/s13148-016-0173-x. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 26798409; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4721061.
  3. Mamtani M, Curran JE, Blangero J, Kulkarni H. Association of urinary phthalates with self-reported eye affliction/retinopathy in individuals with diabetes: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2010. J Diabetes Res. 2016;2016:7269896. doi: 10.1155/2016/7269896. Epub 2015 Dec 20. PubMed PMID: 26798652; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4698956.
  4. Kulkarni H, Mamtani M, Peralta J, Almeida M, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Johnson MP, Duggirala R, Mahaney MC, Olvera RL, Almasy L, Glahn DC, Williams-Blangero S, Curran JE, Blangero J. Soluble forms of intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules independently predict progression to type 2 diabetes in Mexican American families. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 23;11(3):e0151177. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151177. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27007680; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4805238.

EXTRAMURAL APPOINTMENTS:

Reviewer, Canadian Journal of Diabetes

Trustee, Lata Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur, India

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS:

Lata Medical Research Foundation, India

Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Assistant Professor/Research
South Texas Diabetes & Obesity Institute School of Medicine
Email: manju.mamtani@utrgv.edu
Brownsville Campus, Luis Colom Modular Bldg., Room 113 2700 E Jackson Street Brownsville TX 78520
Phone: 956-882-7511
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