Robert Graham

Senior Scientist, ITGR Human Genetics

POSTDOC MENTOR

"Genentech provides a unique environment to move quickly from new research ideas to the clinic."

• 6
  years at Genentech
• 9
  publications (2010-12)
• 11
  awards & honors

I came to Genentech in 2007 after post-doctoral research in David Altshuler's lab at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT with the goal of applying human genetics to identify pathways associated with disease and response to therapies. The sequencing of the human genome and subsequent rapid advances in genotyping and high-throughput sequencing technologies allow fundamental questions about the role of human genetics in complex diseases to be asked.

I feel rather like the scientists who first peered into a microscope must have felt- fortunate enough to have a new and powerful technology to better understand how the world works. The Human Genetics group is focused on utilizing the latest advances in genotyping, DNA sequencing, population genetics and bioinformatics to understand disease biology and discover novel therapeutic targets.

• My Focus

  In the ITGR Human Genetics group, we are focused on common, complex diseases that have an unmet medical need, including autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.

  Our group has 3 main goals. 1) Understanding the genetic basis of disease to aid in target discovery. We are working to discover novel genetic variants that predispose to human disease by multiple techniques including; large genome-wide association studies using SNP-arrays, family-based studies that employ linkage analysis and next-generation sequencing, and deep sequencing of individuals in the extremes of clinically-relevant phenotypes. We are involved in large-scale projects that have the goal of identifying the causal variant within regions associated with disease and understanding the biology of risk variants. 2) Identifying genetic markers of disease progression and severity. We are very interested in exploring using genetic risk or burden scores as a tool to predict disease progression and severity with the goal of improving clinical trial design and likelihood of success. 3) Pharmacogenetics of Genentech therapies. We are working to discover genetic markers of associated with a positive response to therapy and, perhaps more importantly, to identify and understand markers of inadequate response that may lead to novel therapeutic targets.

• Publications

  • European genetic ancestry is associated with a decreased risk of lupus nephritis

    Arthritis and Rheumatism, 2012, ISSN: 0004-3591

    Richman, Ilana B.; Taylor, Kimberly E.; Chung, Sharon A.; Trupin, Laura; Petri, Michelle; Yelin, Edward; Graham, Robert R.; Lee, Annette; Behrens, Timothy W.; Gregersen, Peter K.; Seldin, Michael F.; Criswell, Lindsey A.

     View on PubMed

  • Heritability and Genome-Wide Association Study to Assess Genetic Differences between Advanced Age-related Macular Degeneration Subtypes

    Ophthalmology, 2012, ISSN:

    Sobrin L; Ripke S; Yu Y; Fagerness J; Bhangale TR; Tan PL; Souied EH; Buitendijk GH; Merriam JE; Richardson AJ; Raychaudhuri S; Reynolds R; Chin KA; Lee AY; Leveziel N; Zack DJ; Campochiaro P; Smith RT; Barile GR; Hogg RE; Chakravarthy U; Behrens TW; Uitterlinden AG; van Duijn CM; Vingerling JR; Brantley MA Jr; Baird PN; Klaver CC; Allikmets R; Katsanis N; Graham RR; Ioannidis JP; Daly MJ; Seddon JM.

     View on PubMed

  • Activation of the Alternative Complement Pathway in Vitreous is Controlled by Genetics in Age-related Macular Degeneration

    Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2012, ISSN: 0146-0404

    Loyet, Kelly M; Deforge, Laura E; Katschke, Kenneth J; Diehl, Lauri; Graham, Robert R; Pao, Lily; Sturgeon, Lizette; Lewin-Koh, Sock-Cheng; Hollyfield, Joe G; van Lookeren Campagne, Menno

     View on PubMed

  • The genetics of type I interferon in systemic lupus erythematosus

    Current Opinion in Immunology, 2012, ISSN:

    Bronson, Paola; Chaivorapol, Christina; Ortmann, Ward; Behrens, Timothy; Graham, Robert;

     View on PubMed

  • A mutation in APP protects against Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline

    Nature, 2012, ISSN:

    Jonsson T; Atwal JK; Steinberg S; Snaedal J; Jonsson PV; Bjornsson S; Stefansson H; Sulem P; Gudbjartsson D; Maloney J; Hoyte K; Gustafson A; Liu Y; Lu Y; Bhangale T; Graham RR; Huttenlocher J; Bjornsdottir G; Andreassen OA; Jönsson EG; Palotie A; Behrens TW; Magnusson OT; Kong A; Thorsteinsdottir U; Watts RJ; Stefansson K.

     View on PubMed

  • Association of STAT4, IRF5 and BLK polymorphisms with severity and outcome in lupus nephritis

    Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2012, ISSN:

    Eriksson, Karin G; Zickert, Agneta; Sandling, Johanna K; Jönsen, Andreas; Rönnblom, Lars; Behrens, Timothy W; Graham, Robert R; Ortmann, Ward; Syvänen, Ann-Christine; Gunnarsson, Iva; Nordmark, Gunnel

     View on PubMed

  • High-Density SNP Mapping of the HLA Region Identifies Multiple Independent Susceptibility Loci Associated with Selective IgA Deficiency

    PLoS Genetics, 2012, ISSN: 1553-7390

    Ferreira, Ricardo C; Pan-Hammarström, Qiang; Graham, Robert R; Fontán, Gumersindo; Lee, Annette T; Ortmann, Ward; Wang, Ning; Urcelay, Elena; Fernández-Arquero, Miguel; Núñez, Concepción; Jorgensen, Gudmundur; Ludviksson, Björn R; Koskinen, Sinikka; Haimila, Katri; Padyukov, Leonid; Gregersen, Peter K; Hammarström, Lennart; Behrens, Timothy W

     View on PubMed

  • Genetic Analyses of Interferon Pathway-Related Genes Reveal Multiple New Loci Associated With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

    Arthritis & Rheumatism, 2011, V63, N7, JUL, pp 2049-2057. ISSN: 0004-3591.

    Ramos, Paula S; Williams, Adrienne H; Ziegler, Julie T; Comeau, Mary E; Guy, Richard T; Lessard, Christopher J; Li, He; Edberg, Jeffrey C; Zidovetzki, Raphael; Criswell, Lindsey A; Gaffney, Patrick M; Graham, Deborah Cunninghame; Graham, Robert R; Kelly, Jennifer A; Kaufman, Kenneth M; Brown, Elizabeth E; Alarcon, Graciela S; Petri, Michelle A; Reveille, John D; McGwin, Gerald; Vila, Luis M; Ramsey, Goldman Rosalind; Jacob, Chaim O; Vyse, Timothy J; Tsao, Betty P; Harley, John B; Kimberly, Robert P; Alarcon, Riquelme Marta E; Langefeld, Carl D; Moser, Kathy L

     View on PubMed

  • Common variants near FRK/COL10A1 and VEGFA are associated with advanced age-related macular degeneration.

    Human Molecular Genetics, June 06 2011, V20, N18, pp 3699-3709. ISSN: 1460-2083.

    Yu, Yi; Bhangale, Tushar R; Fagerness, Jesen; Ripke, Stephan; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Tan, Perciliz L; Souied, Eric H; Richardson, Andrea J; Merriam, Joanna E; Buitendijk, Gabrielle H S; Reynolds, Robyn; Raychaudhuri, Soumya; Chin, Kimberly A; Sobrin, Lucia; Evangelou, Evangelos; Lee, Phil H; Lee, Aaron Y; Leveziel, Nicolas; Zack, Donald J; Campochiaro, Betsy; Campochiaro, Peter; Smith, R Theodore; Barile, Gaetano R; Guymer, Robyn H; Hogg, Ruth; Chakravarthy, Usha; Robman, Luba D; Gustafsson, Omar; Sigurdsson, Haraldur; Ortmann, Ward; Behrens, Timothy W; Stefansson, Kari; Uitterlinden, Andre G; van, Duijn Cornelia M; Vingerling, Johannes R; Klaver, Caroline C W; Allikmets, Rando; Brantley, Milam A Jr; Baird, Paul N; Katsanis, Nicholas; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Ioannidis, John P A; Daly, Mark J; Graham, Robert R; Seddon, Johanna M

     View on PubMed

• Education
  • University of Minnesota, Ph.D. – 2003
  • Illinois Wesleyan University, B.A. – 1998
• Awards & Honors
  • Eppley Visiting Professor of Oncology – 2007
  • Elected Pluto Society Member 2005 – 2005
  • Kirsch Scholar – 2003
  • Faculty of 1000 – 2000
  • William Cohen Memorial Lecturer – 1999
  • Hume Faculty Scholar – 1999
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New Investigator Award – 1998
  • Lutje-Stubbs Scholar Award – 1998
  • Baxter Foundation Award – 1997
  • American Cancer Society, New Investigator Award – 1997
  • Merck Fellow of the Life Sciences Research Foundation – 1991-1994