About
After completing my PhD at the University of Queensland in 2005, I joined the Cancer Genetics Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer led by Professor Georgia Chenevix-Trench. I was involved in genotyping projects with several international consortia aiming to identify germline variation associated with risk of breast and ovarian cancers. As sample sizes grew, these projects evolved into genome-wide association studies, including the first of cancer risk, published in a landmark paper in Nature in 2007. Fortunate to be part of several international consortia, I became more involved in computational analysis of large-scale genetic and functional genomics data. I was appointed Team Head in 2021, now leading the Genome Variation and Regulation Laboratory where we use both dry and wet lab approaches to investigate molecular mechanisms highlighted by GWAS discoveries, ultimately aiming to find better treatments for several common cancers.
Area of Interest
My team in the Genome Variation and Regulation in Disease Laboratory are interested in how human genetics contributes to disease and how we can use these discoveries to find better treatments. We integrate large-scale genetic and functional genomics data to guide computational analyses and laboratory experiments. We are using a diverse array of approaches including pooled functional genetic screens, multiplex reporter assays, and genome editing to pinpoint the causal genetic changes, their target genes and pathways, and the cell types in which they act.