Population and Molecular Genetics Staff

 Robert Curtain

 
  BAppSc (PhD candidature) I have been with the Genomics Research Centre for 10 years. As the Senior Research Assistant my duties included supervision of staff and students, the daily management of the laboratory, while designing experimental PCR protocols, diagnostic tests, Genescan analysis and DNA sequencing. I was a key member in a major hypertension project sponsored by Gemini Research spaning several years. From 2000 to 2003, I supervised a migraine genome scan project, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline which involved optimising the entire genome's worth of ABI Linkage panels, genotype calling of 600 samples through 400 markers spanning the human genome. I am also responsible for the operateration and maintainance of the ABI377 sequencer and ABI310 Genescan. Currently I am undertaking my PhD within the centre. My project involves looking at candidate migraine genes more closely. Utilising techniques such as screening for mutations by sequencing and in the future looking at expression levels of these genes by using DNA from diagnosed migraine populations. This will hopefully lead to a better understanding of the genetic component of migraine.