Heritability and genome-wide linkage of complex diseases in the Norfolk Island population isolate

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Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Griffiths, Lyn
Other Supervisors
Lea, Rod
Year published
2012
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Complex diseases such as cardiovascular disease, pterygia, glaucoma, and myopia are caused by polygenic, environmental and lifestyle factors. Studying genetics of complex diseases within population isolates has multiple benefits over studies conducted in single families and unrelated populations. Generally, there is increased power to detect heritable effects. Also, the presence of multiple households within an extended pedigree disentangles confounding environmental variables from true genetic effects. Isolated populations also contain greater potential for identifying underlying causal quantitative trait loci. This thesis ...
View more >Complex diseases such as cardiovascular disease, pterygia, glaucoma, and myopia are caused by polygenic, environmental and lifestyle factors. Studying genetics of complex diseases within population isolates has multiple benefits over studies conducted in single families and unrelated populations. Generally, there is increased power to detect heritable effects. Also, the presence of multiple households within an extended pedigree disentangles confounding environmental variables from true genetic effects. Isolated populations also contain greater potential for identifying underlying causal quantitative trait loci. This thesis work focuses on heritability and genome-wide linkage analyses of cardiovascular disease and three eye diseases: pterygia, glaucoma, and myopia in the Norfolk Island population isolate. This study investigates gene-environment interactions of four complex diseases: cardiovascular disease, pterygia, glaucoma, and myopia.
View less >
View more >Complex diseases such as cardiovascular disease, pterygia, glaucoma, and myopia are caused by polygenic, environmental and lifestyle factors. Studying genetics of complex diseases within population isolates has multiple benefits over studies conducted in single families and unrelated populations. Generally, there is increased power to detect heritable effects. Also, the presence of multiple households within an extended pedigree disentangles confounding environmental variables from true genetic effects. Isolated populations also contain greater potential for identifying underlying causal quantitative trait loci. This thesis work focuses on heritability and genome-wide linkage analyses of cardiovascular disease and three eye diseases: pterygia, glaucoma, and myopia in the Norfolk Island population isolate. This study investigates gene-environment interactions of four complex diseases: cardiovascular disease, pterygia, glaucoma, and myopia.
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Thesis Type
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Degree Program
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Medical Science
Copyright Statement
The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.
Item Access Status
Public
Subject
Cardiovascular disease
Eye disease
Pterygia
Glaucoma
Myopia