Professor Dale Nyholt

Co-Leader, Health and Biological Systems Domain; Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences

Ph.D Health Sciences (Griffith University)

I am a Human Geneticist expert in the statistical analysis of common complex traits. My expertise spans statistical genetic and genomic analysis, epidemiology, bioinformatics and biostatistics. My Statistical and Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory (SGEL) studies the role of genetics in the development and mechanism of human traits, with particular emphasis on migraine, with the specific goal of identifying genetic risk factors, understanding their biological consequences, and detecting common genetic links with other disorders, including depression, endometriosis, and epilepsy. The identification of such causal genetic factors and how they interact with environment exposures will provide a deeper understanding of the aetiology of migraine and our ability to prevent and treat attacks, and facilitate the discovery of novel pathways and thus identify new targets for drug therapy. SGEL also develops novel statistical bioinformatics programs used by researchers worldwide. ** Prospective PhD students ** Please check out some of our current project and research opportunities. For more information about enrolling, please visit the QUT student Gateway. All three of my recent QUT PhD students have obtained external (one international) postdoctoral positions!

Detailed Research Excellence I am a world leader in genetic epidemiology. I have a career total of >250 publications. My career Google Scholar citations are >58,000; generating a h-index of 96. Over 85% of my papers are ranked in the top 25% (Q1) of their category by the SCImago Journal Rank indicator; over 55% are ranked in the top 5%. My publications clearly demonstrate my capacity to both lead and be part of teams that produce high impact research. I have a career total of AU$21M in competitive funding as Chief Investigator (CI); holding 16 (64%) of my 25 grants as CIA. The primary funding bodies include the ARC, European Union, NHMRC, and NIH. I have been a Peer Review Panel member for NHMRC in 4 Grant Rounds. I have also been an NHMRC External Assessor in 14 Grant Rounds and an External Assessor for the Italian Telethon Foundation (2014), UK MRC (2014 and 2016), and Wellcome Trust (2010), US-Israel Binational Science Fdn. (2017-18), and Welsh Govt. Sêr Cymru II (2017-18) international funding bodies. Detailed Discipline Expertise I am a Human Geneticist expert in statistical analysis. My expertise spans statistical genetic/genomic analysis, epidemiology, bioinformatics and biostatistics. I research the role of genetic and environmental factors in disease. I also develop novel bioinformatics programs used by researchers worldwide. In the past 10 years, I have supervised a total of 25 PhD students (9 as Primary, 6 as Co- and 10 as Mentor), 1 MSc student (as Primary), and 7 postdocs (4 as Primary and 3 as Mentor) within mathematical, biological and psychiatric departments; and I currently supervise 12 PhD students (6 as Primary, 2 as Co- and 4 as Mentor), 1 MPhil (as Primary) and mentor 2 postdocs. I have been a PhD Thesis Examiner for Australian and International universities. My past and ongoing national and international collaborations are extensive and I have a proven track record of leadership and performing high-quality impactful research. In the past 10 years, I have reviewed over 100 manuscripts for the following 23 internationally-recognised scientific journals: Genes, Cephalalgia, Human Reproduction, American Journal of Human Genetics, Twin Research and Human Genetics, Nature Communications, Molecular Psychiatry, European Journal of Human Genetics, Bioinformatics, Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation, The Lancet Neurology, JAMA Psychiatry, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Headache, PLoS Genetics, Headache Research and Treatment, Molecular Human Reproduction, Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, Neuropsychiatric Genetics, Human Genetics, Genetic Epidemiology, Biological Psychiatry, and Human Molecular Genetics. Detailed Professional and Academic Standing I am the only statistical geneticist and Australian PI on the large €6M EU project ‘Mechanisms and Treatment of Migraine and its Chronification’ (Acronym: EUROHEADPAIN), for which I directed the keystone ‘Genetic biomarkers and molecular pathways for migraine’ work package. Since 2012 I have received: 11 conference presentation invitations (8 international; 3 keynote/plenary); 7 (2 international) conference presentation invitations selected from abstract; and 5 (2 international) invitations as Session Chair at conferences. From May 2015 to May 2016, I was awarded a prestigious Visiting Professors Programme award by The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, to “enable outstanding foreign researchers to spend up to 3 months working in the Netherlands”. In the past 2 years, I was invited to write reviews for premier neurological journals Cephalalgia, Curr Opin Neurol, and Nat Rev Neurol. I have served on the Editorial Board of the International peer-reviewed journal Genes since 2010. I am on and actively participate in numerous QUT Committees. Detailed Interpersonal and Team Skills and Experience As a leader of large national and international research programs, I have significant experience managing people and projects, and always to planned deadlines. I am a leading Principal Investigator (PI) in the International Headache Genetics (IHGC) and International Endometriosis (IEC), and Twinning Genetics (TGC) Consortiums. All these roles require demonstration of my strong forward planning and advocacy skills. Between Jan 2017 and Dec 2018, I was appointed the Molecular Medicine Program (MMP) Leader within QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation—responsible for developing and improving medical research. In Jan 2019, I was appointed the Director of Research (DoR)—now known as Academic Lead for Research (ALR)—in QUT’s School of Biomedical Sciences (SBMS). As ALR (20% time commitment), I lead the development and improvement of research opportunities and performance of the approximate 180 Academics and Researchers, 50 Adjunct Professors and 40 Visiting Fellows within SBMS. My ability and willingness to lead was also demonstrated by my position as Chair of the QIMR Berghofer Information Technology Committee (2008-2011). My organised, collaborative and mentoring reputation is reflected in Conference Committee Membership invitations for two large national conferences and my membership of the QIMR Berghofer Mentoring Committee from 2010 until my move to QUT in Feb 2015.

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