Dr Emma L Meaburn BSc, MSc, PhD
Visiting Lecturer
Lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London
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| contact this person | |
| address | Institute of Psychiatry |
| location | C0.30 MRC, SGDP Centre |
| departments | Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (IRG) Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre (MRC) |
| also | Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) |
biography
I obtained a BSc (hons) in Human Biology at King’s College London in 1999, which sparked an interest in the genetic basis of human behavior. To further my understanding of genetics and genetic research, I completed an MSc in Human Molecular Genetics from Imperial College London in 2000. I joined the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London in 2000 as a research assistant, and completed a PhD in Behavioral Genetics in 2005 under the supervision of Professor Robert Plomin. My postdoctoral research was undertaken with TEDS, where I led the molecular genetic research efforts into the identification of quantitative trait loci associated with individual differences in reading abilities in early childhood. In 2010, I was appointed as a Lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London and as a Visiting Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London.
activities and interests
My research aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of genetic and environmental influences on human cognition and psychopathologies. I employ genetic, DNA methylation, and gene expression microarray technology and next generation sequencing-based experimental approaches to address my research questions.
My current research program includes the development of analytical frameworks for the integration of genomewide genetic and epigenetic datasets to detect novel trait-associated loci, and the identification of transcriptomic biomakers for non-shared environmental influence in Autism. In early 2012, I will begin a large-scale genome sequencing project in collaboration with researchers at King’s College London that seeks to identify genetic variants associated with high cognitive ability.
http://www.researcherid.com/rid/D-5433-2011
Awards and Funding
2012: The Bloomsbury Colleges PhD Studentship
Integration of multiple genomic datasets for the dissection of the biological basis of autism spectrum disorder. Principal Supervisor in collaboration with Dr Frank Dudbridge (co-supervisor; LSHTM)
2011: British Academy Small Research Grant (£7,380)
The role of CNTNAP2 in autism: an integrated analysis of common genetic variation and allele-specific methylation. Principal Investigator.
2010: School of Science Research Grant, Birkbeck (£10,000). Principal Investigator.
2009: Medical Research Council (£1,750,976)
Origins of learning difficulties and behaviour problems: from behavioural genetics to behavioural genomics. Named collaborator (leading the molecular genetics research domain; PI Robert Plomin)
2008: Autism Speaks ($300,000)
Epigenetic biomarkers of nonshared environmental influences. Co-investigator with Prof. Plomin, Dr Ronald, Dr Mill, Dr Price and Dr Schalkwyk.
2007: The Royal Society (£14,986)
A genome-wide scan for novel imprinted loci. Co-investigator with Dr Mill and Prof. Craig.
2006: Awarded 3rd place in the Promega Young Geneticist of the Year competition.
2005: Awarded the Human Genome Meeting Student Award.
Postgraduate Student Supervison
2010 – 2011:
Jane Yarnall: MSc in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology (Dept. Biological Sciences, Birkbeck). Awarded a distinction for her project entitled: A comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of using pooled DNA and Affymetrix SNP microarrays for genome-wide association studies
2011 - 2012:
John Howard: MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience (Dept. Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck)
Kaili Rimfeld: MSc in Developmental Sciences (Dept. Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck)
Kiran Sanghara: MSc in Psychological Research Methods (Dept. Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck)
Dorain Liberto: MSc in Psychological Research Methods (Dept. Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck)
teaching activities
Undergraduate Teaching
I co-direct and co-teach a large 18-week ‘Introduction to Research Methods’ module at Birkbeck, Department of Psychological Sciences with Dr Marie Smith. With Dr Angelica Ronald I also co-direct and co-teach a specialised 10-week module in ‘Genetics and Psychology’ at Birkbeck, Department of Psychological Sciences.
Postgraduate Teaching
I provide annual lectures in Human Genetics for various MSc courses at Birkbeck, and a ‘Molecular Methods’ seminar on the bi-annual MRC SGDP Summer School (Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London).
publications
Meaburn E.L, Schultz, R (2011) Next generation sequencing in epigenetics: Insights and challenges. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology. Semin Cell Biol. In Press
Meaburn E.L, Schalkwyk L.C. & Mill J (2010). Allele-specific methylation in the human genome: Implications for genetic studies of complex disease. Epigenetics. Volume: 5. Issue: 7. Pages: 578-582. DOI: 10.4161/epi.5.7.12960
Schalkwyk L.C*, Meaburn E.L*, Smith R, Dempster E, Plomin R. & Mill J (2010). Allelic skewing of DNA methylation is widespread across the genome. American Journal of Human Genetics. Volume: 86. Issue: 2. Pages:196-212. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2010.01.014
Davies M, Meaburn E.L. & Schalkwyk L.C (2010). Gene Set Enrichment: a problem of pathways. Briefings in Functional Genomics. Volume: 9 Issue: 5-6 Pages: 385-390.
DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elq021
Schosser A, Pirlo K, Gaysina D, Cohen-Woods S, Schalkwyk LC, Elkin A, Korszun A, Gunasinghe C, Gray J, Jones L, Meaburn E, Farmer AE, Craig IW, McGuffin P (2010). Utility of the pooling approach as applied to whole genome association scans with high-density Affymetrix microarrays. BMC Research Notes. Volume: 1. Issue: 3. Page: 274.
Davis O, Butcher L.M, Meaburn E.L, Docherty S.J, Curtis C.J.C, Simpson M.A, Craig I.W, Schalkwyk L.C. & Plomin R (2010). A three-stage genome-wide association study of general cognitive ability: Hunting the small effects. Behaviour Genetics. Volume: 40. Issue: 6. Pages: 759-767. DOI: 10.1007/s10519-010-9350-4
Viding E, Hanscombe K, Curtis C.J.C, Davis O, Meaburn E.L. & Plomin R (2010). In search of genes associated with risk for psychopathic tendencies in children: A two-stage genome-wide association study of pooled DNA. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Volume: 51. Issue: 7. Pages: 780-788. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02236.x
Docherty, S.J, Davis, O., Kovas, Y, Meaburn, E.L, Dale, P.S, Petrill, S.A, Schalkwyk, L.C. & Plomin, R (2009). A genome-wide association study identifies multiple loci associated with mathematics ability and disability. Genes, Brain and Behavior. Volume: 9. Issue: 2. Pages: 234-247. DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2009.00553.x
Meaburn E.L., Fernandes C, Craig I.W., Plomin R. & Schalkwyk L.C (2009). Assessing Individual Differences in Genome-Wide Gene Expression in Human Whole Blood: Reliability Over Four Hours and Stability Over 10 Months. Twin Research and Human Genetics. Volume: 12. Issue: 4. Pages: 372-380
Meaburn E.L., Harlaar N., Craig I.W., Schalkwyk L.C., Plomin R. (2008) Quantitative trait locus association scan of early reading disability and ability using pooled DNA and 100K SNP microarrays in a sample of 5760 children. Molecular Psychiatry. Volume: 13. Issue: 7. Pages: 729-740 DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4002063
Haworth C.M.A., Carnell S., Meaburn E.L., Davis O.S.P., Plomin R., Wardle J. (2008) Increasing Heritability of BMI and Stronger Associations with the FTO Gene Over Childhood. Obesity Volume: 16. Issue: 12. Pages: 2663-2668 DOI: 10.1038/oby.2008.434
Haworth, C.M.A., Meaburn E.L., Harlaar N., Plomin R. (2007) Reading and Generalist Genes. 2007. Mind, Brain and Education. Volume: 1. Issue: 4. Pages: 173-180. DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-228X.2007.00018.x
Meaburn, E., Butcher, L.M., Schalkwyk, L.C., Plomin, R. (2006). Genotyping pooled DNA using 100K SNP microarrays: a step towards genomewide association scans
Nucleic Acids Research Volume: 34. Issue: 4. Pages: e27. DOI:10.1093/nar/gnj027
Butcher, L.M., Meaburn, E., Knight, J., Sham P.C., Schalkwyk L.C., Craig I.W., Plomin R. (2005) SNPs, microarrays and pooled DNA: identification of four loci associated with mild mental impairment in a sample of 6000 children. Human Molecular Genetics Volume: 14. Issue: 10. Pages: 1315-1325. DOI: 10.1093/ddi142
Butcher L.M., Meaburn E., Dale P.S., Sham P., Schalkwyk L.C., Craig I.W., Plomin R. (2005) Association analysis of mild mental impairment using DNA pooling to screen 432 brain-expressed single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Molecular Psychiatry. Volume: 10. Issue: 4. Pages: 384-392. DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4001589
*Meaburn E.L., *Butcher L.M., Liu L., Fernandes C., Hansen V., Al-Chalabi A., Plomin R., Craig I.W., Schalkwyk L,C. (2005) Genotyping DNA pools on microarrays: Tackling the QTL problem of large samples and large numbers of SNPs. BMC Genomics Volume: 6, Issue: 1. Pages: 52. DOI:10.1186/1471-2164-6-52
Simpson C.L., Knight J., Butcher L.M., Hansen V.K., Meaburn E.L., Schalkwyk L.C., Craig I.W., Powell J.F., Sham P.C., Al-Chalabi A. (2005) A central resource for accurate allele frequency estimation from pooled DNA genotyped on DNA microarrays. 2005. Nucleic Acids Research. Volume: 33. Issue: 3. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gni028
Harlaar N, Butcher L.M., Meaburn E., Sham P., Craig I.W., Plomin R. (2005) A behavioural genomic analysis of DNA markers associated with general cognitive ability in 7-year-olds. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Volume: 46 Issue: 10. Pages: 1097-1107.
Craig I., Meaburn E., Butcher L.M., Hill L., Plomin R. (2005) Single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping in DNA pools. Methods in Molecular Biology. Volume: 311. Pages: 147-164.
*Butcher, L.M., *Meaburn, E., Liu, L., Fernandes C., Hill L., Al-Chalabi A., Plomin R., Schalkwyk L.C., Craig I.W. (2004) Genotyping pooled DNA on microarrays: A systematic genome screen of thousands of SNPs in large samples to detect QTLs for complex traits. Behavior Genetics. Volume: 34. Issue: 5. Pages: 549-555
Meaburn E.L., Dale P.S., Craig I.W., Plomin R. Language-impaired children: No sign of the FOXP2 mutation. (2002) Neuroreport. Volume: 13. Issue:8. Pages: 1075-1077.
last updated: Friday, January 06, 2012