Australians honoured for 'best research of the year'

Gene research involving scientists at the University of Queensland’s (UQ) Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine has received high acclaim by leading scientific journals Science and Nature.

UQ Prof Matthew Brown’s work with the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium, on isolating genes that cause some of the most common hereditary diseases including diabetes and arthritis, has been selected as ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ by Science and an ‘Editor’s Favourite’ in Nature.

Brown was one of the principal investigators in the worldwide study, which will allow researchers to pinpoint who is most at risk from the diseases and could also help produce better treatments.

He and his colleagues conducted the world’s largest genetic study and isolated at least 25 genes that cause seven of the most common hereditary diseases, including diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, hypertension, Crohn’s disease, bipolar disorder and rheumatoid arthritis.

Another 58 genes with possible links to the same family of diseases have also been uncovered.

The research was also named by Scientific American as ‘Research Leader of the Year’ and by the American Heart Association as one of the ‘Top 10 Major Advances in Heart Disease and Stroke’.