Project title
Functional genetics of Metabolic Syndrome and component traits in the Norfolk Island isolate.
Supervisory Team
Distinguished Professor Lyn Griffiths
Project description
Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a growing global health issue affecting more patients every year as the world’s cultural, physical, and nutritional environment changes. Now in its third decade, the Genomics Research Centre’s (GRC) ongoing Norfolk Island Health Study (NIHS) has yielded multiple insights into the genetics of health. It is an ideal cohort for studying MetS genetics. The GRC’s computational genomics group has identified candidate functional variants in the NIHS to be investigated for association with MetS traits. Any findings will be validated in the UK Biobank. By revealing its genetic aetiology, this project may help people avoid or manage Metabolic Syndrome.
Short Biography
Jacob is a former chef and musician who has lived in Brisbane since 2005, with a brief interlude in London UK. After gaining a BSc in molecular genetics from UQ in 2017, Jacob joined the Genomics Research Centre as a volunteer in 2020, commencing a Master of Philosophy in 2021, working on Metabolic Syndrome in the ongoing Norfolk Island Health Study. In 2023, expansion of this project led to articulation to a PhD.
Education
Bachelor of Science (Molecular Genetics), UQ, 2017
Bachelor of Journalism, UQ, 2017