Professor Andrew Green MB, BCh, BAO, PhD, MRCPI

Research Interests:

• Clinical Genetics
• Hereditary Breast Cancer
• Clinical Application of Human Molecular Genetics
• Genetics of Renal Disease
• Ethical Issues in Human Genetics

The Department of Medical Genetics, UCD, is based in the National Centre for Medical Genetics, Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin (http://www.genetics.ie/). There is a wide range of interests covering the applications of molecular genetic technology at both diagnostic and research levels into both single gene and more complex genetic disorders.

The Department has had a long standing collaboration with Dr. Orla Hardiman, consultant neurologist Beaumont hospital, along with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, studying the genetic contribution to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease. The collaboration has been able to take advantage of a well-ascertained database of Irish patients with motor neuron disease, and has recently identified a new genetic locus for ALS on chromosome 14.

The Department has also had a very fruitful collaboration with Prof. Prem Puri, Newman Professor UCD, who has established the world's largest resource of patients with the complex genetic disorder, vesico-ureteric reflux. Genetic studies have been under way on over 700 DNA samples from affected families, and a whole genome scan has identified several very promising leads.

The Department has also had a close links with the Departments of Genetics and psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, and has collaborated for 2 years in identifying a locus for the genetic component of autism on chromosome 2q. The two groups have formally launched the Irish Autism Genome Collaboration, and are now part of a worldwide consortium identifying the genetic components to autism.

Research Projects: