The Discovery Collaborators

A critical part of both positional cloning and DNA array analysis is biostatistics and bioinformatics. These are rapidly evolving fields. We are fortunate to have on our research team three talented statisticians who are at the cutting edge in the development of new approaches to gene mapping and the analysis of microarray data.

We are merging genetics and gene expression studies by treating mRNA abundance as a heritable phenotype that can itself be subjected to gene mapping. The goal is to identify genes that control the abundance of mRNA. Most of these will be trans-acting and many will control multiple mRNAs. When studied in a population segregating for obesity and diabetes phenotypes, we should be able to identify new pathways that are dysregulated in under these conditions.

Brian Yandell

Christina Kendziorski

Karl Broman

We work closely in collaboration with Christopher Newgard (Duke University) on the integration of metabolic profiling with genetics of diabetes. In addition, we collaborate with Chris and with Klaus Kaestner (University of Pennsylvania), Phil Scherer (University of Texas Southwestern), and Luís Fernandez (University of Wisconsin) on a project aimed at identifying and developing factors that stimulate β-cell proliferation.

Christopher B.Newgard

Klaus Kaestner

Phil Scherer

Luís Fernandez