ATR Round 5 Research Travel Grant Scheme Report
Justine Gatt
The ATR Travel Award assisted towards the cost of attending the 2008 Statistical Genetics Short Course
featuring Mendel held at Coolangatta, Queensland (1st-5th September, 2008).
This 5-day course covered various statistical genetics methods that could be used for the detection of
genetic loci for complex traits, both quantitative and qualitative. The course covered both general
theories behind the methods as well as hands-on practical exercises. Being both intensive and thorough,
various topics were covered throughout the program, including data and software issues (eg., data
types, mistyping analysis, Hardy-Weinberg analysis, and pedigree trimming), linkage analysis (eg., design
issues, kinship coefficients, penetrance estimation), population-based association analysis (eg., genetics
and linkage equilibrium, haplotypes), family-based association analysis (eg., gamete competition,
genome-wide studies), and quantitative trait loci (eg., heritability, network analysis).
I found the course and range of topics both highly diverse and useful. It provided a fantastic background
to genetics research and the range of design issues one should consider in research design and analysis.
Of particular interest were discussions on heritability analysis and network/causal analysis, both of
which are directly relevant to my ARC-Linkage Fellowship which will focus on the genetic and
environmental pathways to emotional brain stability and well-being in healthy individuals and twins. It
was also highly valuable to meet some of the leading researchers in this field such as Ken Lange and
Steve Horvath, as well as fellow researchers from around Australia with the potential for future research
collaborations.