Richard H. Myers, Ph.D.

RICHARD H. MYERS, PH.D.
Professor of Neurology & Medicine

Education
1980 Post-doctoral., Human Gentics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
1979 Ph.D., Behavior Genetics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
1976 M.A., Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
1969 B.A. Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Research Interests

My professional interests have focused upon the application of genetic research methods for the investigation of adult onset diseases with complex etiology (Parkinson's disease, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, pulmonary function, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis etc.). I have a long-standing interest in Huntington's disease and have participated in a wide range of research investigations for this disease. I have been a member of the New England Huntington's disease "Center Without Walls" since its inception in 1980. My HD studies may best be characterized as 'Neurobiological Studies' in that they include studies into the mechanisms disease expression, including complex genetic modifier studies and a series of neuropathological studies of effects of disease expression in the brain. Additional interests are in the ethical issues influencing utilization of genetic test procedures.

I have been involved in a number of studies in positional cloning. I participated in the cloning of the gene for Huntington's disease in 1993. I initiated the genome scan project in the Framingham Study, and a genome scan in Parkinson's disease. My Parkinson's disease genetic linkage study, known as the "GenePD" study, involves an international collaboration of twenty clinical centers in Parkinson's disease. The study is seeking genetic loci involved in risk for PD. Since 1993 I have participated in genetic linkage studies for hypertension (the HyperGEN study, one of the NHLBI Family Blood Pressure Program Project studies), and the genome scan in the NHLBI Family Heart Study.

Selected Publications

Djoussé L, Pankow JS, Arnett DK, Eckfeldt JH, Myers R, Ellison RC. Apolipoprotein E polymorphism modifies the alcohol-HDL association in the NHLBI Family Heart Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2004; 80:1639-1644.

Jiang Y, Wilk JB, Borecki I, Williamson S, DeStefano AL, Xu G, Liu J, Ellison RC, Province M, Myers RH. Common Variants In The 5' Region Of The Leptin Gene Are Associated With Body Mass Index in Men from the NHLBI Family Heart Study. Am J of Hum Genet 2004; 75:220-230.

Wilk JB, Djoussé L, Arnett DK, Hunt SC, Province MA, Heiss G, Myers RH. Genome wide linkage analyses for age at diagnosis of hypertension and early-onset hypertension in the HyperGEN Study. Am J Hypertens. 2004; 17:839-844.

Herrera VL, Didishvili T, Lopez LV, Myers RH, Ruiz-Opazo N. Genome-wide scan identifies distinct QTLs for plasma total cholesterol and LDL levels in F2 [Dahl R x S]-intercross rats. Circulation Research 2004; 94:446-452.

Djoussé L, Knowlton B, Hayden M, Almqvist EW, Brinkman R, Ross CA, Margolis R, Rosenblatt A, Durr A, Dode C, Morrison PJ, Novelletto A, Frontali M, Trent RJA, McCusker E, Gómez-Tortosa E, Mayo D, Jones R, Zanko A, Nance M, Abramson R, Suchowersky O, Paulsen J, Harrison M, Yang Q, Cupples LA, Mysore J, Gusella JF, MacDonald ME, Myers RH. Evidence for a Modifier of Onset Age in Huntington's Disease Linked to the HD Gene in 4p16. Neurogenetics 2004; 5:109-114.

Tang W, Miller MB, Rich SS, North KE, Pankow JS, Borecki IB, Myers RH, Hopkins PN, Leppert M, Arnett DK. Linkage analysis of a composite factor for the multiple metabolic syndrome. Diabetes 2003; 52:2840-2847.

Li J-L, Hayden M, Almqvist EW, Brinkman R, Durr A, Dode C, Morrison PJ, Suchowersky O, Ross C, Margolis R, Rosenblatt A, Gómez-Tortosa E, Mayo Cabrero D, Novelletto A, Frontali M, Nance M, Trent RJA, McCusker E, Jones R, Paulsen J, Harrison M, Zanko A, Abramson R, Russ A, Knowlton B, Djoussé L, Mysore JL, Tariot S, Gusella MF, Wheeler VC, Atwood LD, Cupples LA, Saint Hilaire M, Cha J-H, Hersch SM, Koroshetz WJ, Gusella JF, MacDonald ME, Myers RH. A Genome Scan for Modifiers of Age at Onset in Huntington's disease: The HD MAPS Study. Am J Hum Genet 2003; 73:682-687.

Karamohamed S, DeStefano AL, Wilk JB, Shoemaker CM, Golbe LI, Mark MH, Lazzarini AM, Suchowersky O, Labelle N, Guttman M, Currie LJ, Wooten GF, Stacy M, Saint-Hilaire M, Feldman RG, Sullivan KM, Xu G, Watts R, Growdon J, Lew M, Waters C, Vieregge P, Pramstaller PP, Klein C, Racette BA, Perlmutter JS, Parsian A, Singer C, Montgomery E, Baker K, Gusella JF, Fink SJ, Myers RH, Herbert A. A haplotype at the PARK3 locus influences onset age for Parkinson disease: The GenePD study. Neurology 2003; 61:1557-1561.

Wilk JB, DeStefano AL, Arnett DK, Rich SS, Djoussé L, Crapo RO, Leppert MF, Province MA, Cupples LA, Gottlieb DJ, Myers RH. A Genomewide Scan of Pulmonary Function Measures in the NHLBI Family Heart Study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003; 167:1528-1533.

DeStefano AL, Gates GA, Heard-Costa N, Myers RH, Baldwin CT. Genome-wide Linkage Analysis to Presbycusis in the Framingham Heart Study Cohort. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003; 129:285-289.

Djoussé L, Knowlton B, Hayden M, Almqvist EW, Brinkman R, Ross C, Margolis R, Rosenblatt A, Durr A, Dode C, Morrison PJ, Novelletto A, Frontali M, Trent RJA, McCusker E, Gómez-Tortosa E, Mayo D, Jones R, Zanko A, Nance M, Abramson R, Suchowersky O, Paulsen J, Harrison M, Yang Q, Cupples LA, Gusella JF, MacDonald ME, Myers RH. Interaction of normal and expanded CAG repeat sizes influences age at onset of Huntington disease. Am J Med Genet. 2003; 119a: 279-282.

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