Research Synopsis
The Institute of Prion Diseases Genetics, Epigenetics and bioinformatics group seeks to discover and understand genetic and epigenetic risk factors for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Our core activity is genome wide (and epigenome wide) association study for which we receive samples from around the world. We have recently identified risk conferred by variants in or near to genes other than the prion protein gene. We are currently seeking to understand the mechanisms of these effects and their potential for therapeutic targeting. Other projects include the development of diagnostic classifiers using methylomics, use of population genetic techniques to explore the adaption of populations in Papua New Guinea to the kuru epidemic, the diagnosis of inherited prion disease, diagnosis of dementia and Huntington’s disease like syndromes using genomic technologies and development of biofluid biomarkers for CJD.
We are always interested to hear from potential new recruits to the team.