SYSTEMS GENETICS TO DETERMINE RISK OF DEVELOPING DIABETES COMPLICATIONS

Emeritus Professor Grant Morahan, Professor of Diabetes Research, University of Western Australia Centre for Medical Research (affiliated with the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research), Perth, Australia & Honorary Professor, Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, University of Melbourne, Australia

RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Perth, Australia | December 2025

Professor Morahan invented the term “Systems Genetics” for the science field that examines how genetic variants can affect whole networks of genes and whole systems; there are now several laboratories and institutes of systems genetics around the world. He also developed the next-generation genetic resource, The Gene Mine, the most powerful of its type in the world, used globally in rapid mapping and identification of genes. Collaborators nationally and internationally have tested The Gene Mine for traits and diseases in which they specialise.

As a member of the Steering Committee of the Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium, he worked to design the global study recruiting and characterising T1D genetics, which resulted in identification of over 40 T1D risk genes. The culmination of this program, for which Prof Morahan was PI of the Asia-Pacific Network, was published in Nature Genetics (41:703-707) and has been cited 1579 times.

Currently, he is a member of the Steering Committee of the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) Study, the only study in the world investigating T1D families to follow at-risk babies from pregnancy through childhood. Completing recruitment in 2020, the study already has 40 publications.

His latest discovery involves next-generation algorithms that are able to predict whether a person will be genetically high/low risk of developing a number of complex genetic diseases. Professor Morahan is working toward commercialising these genetic tests so they can benefit the public and the healthcare system.

During his career, Prof Morahan has supervised 23 postgraduate students and mentored nine postdoctoral positions. Since 2003, Prof Morahan has applied for and received close to $20 million in research funds, both nationally and internationally. He has 299 academic publications, 17,0744 citations and has an h-index of 60.

Source: Supplied