Lynn Jorde
University of Utah, UT·Genetics
Every person carries new DNA changes, called de novo mutations, that neither parent had. Cells in our bodies also pick up somatic mutations, which are changes that arise during life and are not inherited.
- Fields
Genetics
Biology
Medicine & Clinical Research
- Topics
human genetics
genomics
genetic variation
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Jun 2027
What they work on
- Test whether a person's germline (inherited) mutation rate tracks their somatic mutation rate, using whole-genome sequencing of blood DNA collected from the same Utah CEPH pedigree members at three time points over 35 years.
- Test the hypothesis that lower expression of key DNA repair genes leads to higher germline and somatic mutation rates, combining whole-genome sequence data with RNA-seq from freshly collected whole blood.
- Relate mutation rates and DNA repair to more than 180 measured traits across four generations of CEPH families, creating a public repository of genome and gene-activity data.
- Develop improved genome-analysis methods, including detection of mobile element insertions, and apply them with RNA-seq and functional tests to large Utah pedigrees with ALS and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
More about the research
How fast these mutations build up, why the rate differs between people, and what that means for health are basic questions in human genetics.
Why it matters
Understanding why some people accumulate DNA mutations faster could explain links between mutation rate, aging, lifespan and menopause. It could also show how DNA repair affects disease risk. The four-generation public data resource and new analysis tools could help researchers find disease-causing genes, starting with families affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Scott Devine
University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD·Genetics
Build a comprehensive resource of full-length, human-specific LINE-1 (FL-L1Hs) source elements, the retrotransposon copies able to produce new insertions, for studying L1 mobilization in human tissues and tumors.
Alan P Boyle
University of Michigan, MI·Genetics
Quantify how transposable element activity changes binding of CTCF, a protein that anchors DNA loops, across a population sample of 51 well-studied individuals using computational methods.
Erin Peckham-Gregory
Baylor College of Medicine, TX·Genetics
Analyze germline whole-genome sequencing data from 191 LCH case-parent trios in the Gabriella Miller Kids First program to define inheritance patterns and the role of de novo mutations in LCH risk.
The school
University of Utah: 58 labs on PI Pages, $789M a year on research, 366 research doctorates a year.
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