Brian K. Suarez, Ph.D.

DEPARTMENT OF Psychiatry
Keywords: genome analysis, genetics, diabetes, prostate cancer, schizophrenia

The long-term research interest of our family studies group continues to be the development and testing of quantitative methods to assess the transmission of complex disorders. These efforts are aimed at resolving the etiological heterogeneities suspected for most of the common diseases. Diseases currently under study include prostate cancer, type II diabetes and schizophrenia.

In addition, we are continuing a study we began in 1984 of 11 closely related Amish communities. The members of this population are among the most inbred in North America and, as expected, are segregating a variety of rare recessive diseases. One disorder of particular interest to us is a recessive form of prolonged Q-T syndrome that results in the sudden death of those affected.