Genes and Genomes PhD

Why decode Genes and Genomes?

Our program is designed to equip the next generation of researchers with the skills to tackle challenges in biology, medicine, and computational biology, using new technologies that exploit genomic data. The program will give students a breadth of knowledge across wet and dry labs while focussing in depth in their own project.

While the sequence of the human genome is largely known, we are still a long way from understanding how this information translates into function. The biological functions of many human genes are largely unknown as is how non-coding elements regulate their expression. Moreover, gene function and expression varies across different cell types and across an individual’s lifetime.

Substantial genetic diversity exists both within and across human populations. There is a need to understand the consequences of genetic variation underlying human complex traits to better understand, diagnose and treat human disease.

The rapid advancement in genomic sequencing technology is generating large genomic datasets across diverse cell and tissue types. This advance in data generation has created a need to develop methods to analyse data captured on multiple different types of genomic platforms. Integrating this data will reveal the universal and specific principles of genome regulation underlying health and disease.

We are beginning to see the use of genomic information in clinical diagnosis and treatment. This represents a move towards a “precision medicine” approach, where an individual’s genetic, epigenetic and environmental risk factors are used to optimize prevention and treatment of disease. Such progress requires advancements in mathematical and statistical models to better predict an individual’s risk of future disease.

This program will bring together a group of multi-disciplinary researchers to address these challenges, driving our understanding of the genome and a future with better diagnosis and treatment of human disease.

Contact

IMB Student Development Team

imb-studentdev@uq.edu.au

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