Human genetic disorders
My research group applies the techniques of molecular and statistical
genetics to approach clinically relevant problems in neuroscience, with the
ultimate goal of understanding gene function in both the pathologic and
normal states. We are currently studying schizophrenia, autism, and specific
language impairment (SLI). Work directly conducted by my group includes
development of phenotype definitions, subject recruitment and assessment
(for autism and SLI), genotyping and statistical analysis for linkage and
association studies, comparative genomic analysis, and gene expression
studies. We have successfully identified functional variants in two
susceptibility genes, NOS1AP which is involved in schizophrenia and EN2
which is involved in autism. Other areas of particular interest include the
role of microRNAs in the control of gene expression in the human brain and
enhancements to moderately high throughput genotyping technologies. Within
Rutgers and UMDNJ we work closely with Dr. Bonnie Firestein (Rutgers
Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience) and Drs. Jim Millonig and Manny
DiCicco-Bloom (UMDNJ-RWJ Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology) on
understanding the molecular neurobiology of schizophrenia and autism
susceptibility genes. Our primary collaborators outside of Rutgers/UMDNJ are
Dr. Anne Bassett at the University of Toronto, who works on phenotype
definition, subject recruitment and assessment for schizophrenia, Dr.
Veronica Vieland at Ohio State University, who works on the development of
advanced statistical genetics methods, and Dr. Christopher Bartlett, who
works on the molecular genetics of specific language impairment.
Selected Publications
View Dr. Brzustowicz's publications in Pub Med
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