Researcher: Professor Melanie Bahlo PhD FAHMS

Institution: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

Study Rationale: Both genetic mutations and exposure to environmental risk factors contribute to causing Parkinson’s disease (PD). Genetic risk for a PD patient could be due to multiple genes, different types of mutations or, simply, one genetic mutation, in one gene. Our team have developed novel computational tools that enable us to discover several new types of mutations and other genetic signals of PD in a person’s DNA. We will leverage these unique tools to investigate a new source of mutations, called repeat expansions, which we have already proved to be the genetic cause of diseases that are similar to PD.