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Professor of Human GeneticsProfessor of Psychiatry Research Professor, Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute |
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| 5061 BSRB 109 Zina Pitcher Place Ann Arbor, MI 48109 -2200 |
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My laboratory's research is aimed at finding genes involved in neurological and psychiatric diseases as well as behavior in general. While primarily interested in human disorders, we are using mice as a model system when appropriate. We use genetic methodologies and have identified specific single gene mutations that cause ataxia, seizures and behavioral abnormalities in mice and humans. For some of these, the function of the encoded protein is unknown, and we are starting to clarify that. In contrast to Mendelian single gene defects, human behavior and risk for psychiatric illnesses such as depression and alcoholism are determined by a complex interaction of environmental and multiple genetic risk factors. With the Human Genome sequenced, unprecedented numbers of genetic variants identified, and novel technologies that allow the study of genetic variants, untangling these risk factors is now possible and has started in my laboratory. This includes both work on the phenotypes and on novel techniques to identify genetic variants in a high throughput manner.
2002 and 2004 NARSAD Independent Investigator Award
1999 Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship for Sabbatical at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, Germany
1992 and 1996 NARSAD Young Investigator Award
1995 Mental Health Research Institute Discovery Award
1995 Klingenstein Fellowship Award in the Neurosciences
1993 March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Starting Investigator Award
1983-87 Dr. rer. nat. = PhD at European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany, with Dr. Hans Lehrach (conferred from Ruprecht- Karls-University Heidelberg)
1981-83 Diplom (Master) work at Weizmann Institute Science, Rehovot, Israel
1977-83 Undergraduate : Free University of Berlin
Saunders EH, Scott LJ, McInnis MG, Burmeister M. Familiality and diagnostic patterns of subphenotypes in the National Institutes of Mental Health Bipolar sample.
Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2007 May 24; [Epub ahead of print]
Sliwerska E, Meng F, Speed TP, Jones EG, Bunney WE, Akil H, Watson SJ, Burmeister M. SNPs on chips: the hidden genetic code in expression arrays. Biol Psychiatry. 2007 Jan 1;61(1):13-6.
Bueller JA, Aftab M, Sen S, Gomez-Hassan D, Burmeister M, Zubieta JK. BDNF Val66Met allele is associated with reduced hippocampal volume in healthy subjects. Biol Psychiatry. 2006 May 1;59(9):812-5. Epub 2006 Jan 25.
Li J, Burmeister M. Genetical genomics: combining genetics with gene expression analysis. Hum Mol Genet. 2005 Oct 15;14 Spec No. 2:R163-9. Review.
Seong E, Wainer BH, Hughes ED, Saunders TL, Burmeister M, Faundez V. Genetic analysis of the neuronal and ubiquitous AP-3 adaptor complexes reveals divergent functions in brain. Mol Biol Cell. 2005 Jan;16(1):128-40.
Seong E, Saunders TL, Stewart C, Burmeister M: Knock-outs in C57BL/6 or 129 ES cells: That's the question. Trends in Genetics 20(20): 59-62, 2004.
Sen S, Burmeister M, Ghosh, D: Meta-Analysis of the Association Between a Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and Anxiety-Related Personality Traits. Amer. J. Med. Genet. Neuropsychiatric Genetics, 127B1: 85-89, 2004.
Sen S, Villafuerte S, Nesse R, Stoltenberg SF, Hopcian J, Gleiberman L, Weder AB and Burmeister M: Serotonin Transporter and GABA(A) a6 Receptor Variants are Associated with Neuroticism. Biological Psychiatry 55(3): 244-249, 2004.
Bomar JM, Benke PJ, Slattery EL, Puttagunta R, Taylor LP, Seong E, Nystuen A, Chen W, Albin RL, Patel PD, Kittles RA, Sheffield VC, Burmeister M: Mutations in a novel CRAL-TRIO domain encoding gene cause human Cayman Ataxia and ataxia/dystonia in the jittery mouse. Nature Genetics 35: 264-269, 2003.
Sen S, Nesse RM, Stoltenberg SF, Li S, Gleiberman L, Chakravarti A, Weder AB & Burmeister M: A BDNF Coding Variant is Associated with the NEO Personality Inventory Domain Neuroticism, a Risk Factor for Depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 28: 397-401, 2003.
Seong E, Seasholtz AF, Burmeister M: Mouse models for psychiatric disorders. Trends in Genetics 18: 643-650, 2002.
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