SEMINAR: Rapid gene discovery, identification of genetic networks and novel disease models from the next-generation genetics resource, the gene mine

Prof Grant Morahan is Scientific Head of the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Division, and Director of the Centre for Diabetes Research. His research has included discoveries in antibody immunochemistry, immune tolerance, immunogenetics, and genetics of complex genetic diseases, especially type 1 diabetes. Research highlights include identifying IL12B as a susceptibility gene affecting diseases of immune dysregulation including type 1 diabetes, severe childhood asthma and cerebral malaria; conducting the world's largest genetic linkage study; identifying over 40 genes affecting risk of type 1 diabetes; and establishing the next-generation genetic resource. "The Gene Mine". Produced in Perth over the last 10 years, The Gene Mine is the largest collection in the world of the resource known internationally as The Collaborative Cross and is now being used by collaborators around Australia and internationally.

Prof Morahan was on he Steering Committee of the Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium and I a member of the Faculty of 1000. He is the inaugural Professor of Diabetes Research at the University of Western Australia, and is a Visiting Professor at Peking University, Beijing. He has over 200 scientific papers, including in Nature, Science, Lancet, Nature Genetics, Diabetes and PNAS. His work is currently being commercialized by two biotechnology companies, Geniad and FitGenes.