Medical Genetics clinical staff profiles

Gerard D. Schellenberg, Ph.D.

Research Professor of Medicine and Neurology
Adjunct Research Professor of Pharmacology

VAMC, Box 358280
1660 S Columbian Way, 182B
Seattle, WA 98108
Phone: 206-764-2701
FAX: 206-764-2569
E-mail: zachdad@u.washington.edu

Research Profile (Community of Science)

Research Program:

Dr. Schellenberg's research program focuses on neurodegenerative diseases and behavioral disorders. The neurodegenerative diseases he is studying include Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy and related tauopathies, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS/PDC)of Guam. He is using linkage and disequilibrium analysis to identify genetic loci for late-onset Alzheimer's disease and ALS/PDC. Recently his laboratory identified tau as the gene responsible inherited forms of frontotemporal dementia. Dr. Schellenberg's laboratory is now determining how these mutations affect tau gene regulation and the biochemical function of the tau protein, and how different mutations lead to different disease phenotypes. Work is now in progress to identify the cis and trans-acting factors that regulate the tau gene.

Dr. Schellenberg's group is also using linkage analysis to identify the genes responsible for two behavioral disorders, autism and schizophrenia. The autism project is identifying families with two or more affected subjects with autism. For each family, in addition to the affected siblings, the parents and unaffected siblings are being evaluated by an extensive battery of neuropsychological tests. The results will be used for quantitative trait analysis to identify autism genes. Linkage analysis is also being used to identify schizophrenia genes.

Investigator: Dr. Schellenberg is a Research Professor in the Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine and is an adjunct Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Neurology.

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