I am pleased to invite you to attend the MiNDS Colloquium TODAY Thursday February 16th at 3:00 in HSC 4E20. Bring your coffee cup for coffee and cookies before the talk at 2:45.

Dr Arturas Petronis is a Senior Scientist in the Neuroscience Department and Head of the Krembil Family Epigenetics Laboratory. He is a Professor with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He is also Tapscott Chair at the University of Toronto. His research is dedicated to the elucidation of the role of epigenetic factors in complex non-Mendelian diseases. Dr. Petronis published over 90 papers and book chapters.    

 

Tomorrows talk is on the traditional aetiological approach to understanding the causes of how complex psychiatric disease has focused on the interplay between genetic (DNA) and environmental factors. There are, however, numerous epidemiological, clinical, and molecular peculiarities associated with psychiatric phenotypes that are hard to explain using traditional DNA- and environment-based approaches. For example, discordance between monozygotic twins, late age of onset, sexual dimorphism, parental-origin effects, and significant fluctuation of disease course suggest that epigenetic factors may also play a role in disease aetiology. In addition to DNA, epigenetic variation in the germline can be a secondary molecular substrate of heritability. Epigenetics may also allow contribute to the understanding of the molecular effects of environmental hazards. Finally, a non-environmental epigenetic metastability could be an important etiological player in psychiatric disease.  All these epigenetic aspects of complex disease will be illustrated by experimental findings from his ongoing DNA methylome studies of twins and major psychosis.  

 

We look forward to seeing you all at the talk tomorrow.

 

Regards

 

Kathy

 

---

 

Kathryn M Murphy PhD

 

Professor and Director MiNDS Graduate Program

 

Dept of Psychology Neuroscience & Behaviour
McMaster University
1280 Main St W
Hamilton ON L8S 4K1