Brian K. Suarez, Ph.D. Professor Psychiatry Genetics Evolution, Ecology and Population Biology Program Molecular Genetics and Genomics Program Human and Statistical Genetics Program
Office Phone: 314-362-9433 Lab Phone: 314-362-9433 Other Phone: FAX: 314-747-1017 Box: 8134 Lab Address: 1117 Renard Hospital Email: bks@wustl.edu Keywords: genome analysis; genetics; diabetes; prostate cancer; schizophrenia Short Research Description: Genetic epidemiology of psychiatric disorders, linkage studies of Mendelian diseases with emphasis on theoretical issues involved in mapping recessives in endogamous populations.
Research Abstract: The long-term research interest of our family studies group continues to be the development and testing of quantitative methods to assess the transmission of complex disorders. These efforts are aimed at resolving the etiological heterogeneities suspected for most of the common diseases. Diseases currently under study include prostate cancer, type II diabetes and schizophrenia. In addition, we are continuing a study we began in 1984 of 11 closely related Amish communities. The members of this population are among the most inbred in North America and, as expected, are segregating a variety of rare recessive diseases. One disorder of particular interest to us is a recessive form of prolonged Q-T syndrome that results in the sudden death of those affected.
Selected Publications: Suarez BK, Pal P, Jin CH, Kaushal R, Sun G, Jin L, Pasche B, Deka R, Catalona WJ. TGFBR1*6A is not associated with prostate cancer in men of European ancestry. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Diseases 2005 8:50-53. Burmester JK, Suarez BK, Lin JH, Jin, CH, Miller RD, Zhang K-Q, Salzman, SA, Beding DJ, Calalona WJ. Analysis of candidate SNPs in prostate cancer cases and disease-free controls. Hum Hered 2004 57:172-178. Love-Gregory LD, Wasson J, Ma J, Jin CH, Glasser B, Suarez BK, Permutt MA. A common polymorphism in the upstream promoter (P2) region of the hepatocyte nuclear factor 4a (HNF4a) gene on chromosome 20q is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and appears to contribute to the evidence for linkage in an Ashkenazi Jewish population. Diabetes 2004 53:1134-1140. Kibel AS, Suarez BK, Belani J, Oh J, Webster R, Brophy-Ebbers M, Guo G, Catalona WJ, Goodfellow PJ. CDKN1A and CDKN1B polymorphisms and risk of advanced prostate carcinoma. Cancer Res 2003 63:2033-2036. Witte JS, Suarez BK, Thiel B, Lin J, Yu A, Banerjee T, Burmester JK, Casey G, Catalona WJ. Genome-wide can of brothers: Replication and fine mapping of prostate cancer susceptibility and aggressiveness genes. Prostate 2003 57:298-308.