In the field of cancer, identifying the significance of the cancer-associated genes provides patients with information on increased risk and preventative treatment options. The constant stream of new genetic variations being discovered, however, means there are more questions than answers about what DNA information actually means in the doctor’s clinic.
Associate Professor Logan Walker of the University of Otago, Christchurch, is studying the genetics of breast and ovarian cancer. He will share details of his research and his role as the only New Zealander in an international consortium of genetic detectives working to unravel the mysteries of variations in DNA and what they mean for cancer risk.
Logan is a cancer geneticist and the current Associate Dean Research, at the University of Otago Christchurch. His research focuses on understanding the impact of genetic changes on health. After completing post-doctoral training in Australia, and returning to the University of Otago, his research programme was significantly strengthened by being awarded a Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellowship (Health Research Council) followed by a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship (Royal Society Te Apārangi).
He is an invited member of several international groups tasked with improving protocols for genetic testing around the world. This work includes developing RNA diagnostic guidelines for both the clinical and research setting, and providing expert advice about the implementation of these guidelines and the interpretation of genetic test results. In collaboration with multiple international consortia, he has also contributed to and led some of the largest genetic association studies to discover inherited DNA copy number changes that increase or decrease susceptibility to cancer.
