Ordan Lehmann

The main interest of the laboratory is the way mutations /segmental chromosomal anomalies affect eye development and visual function. Such cases provide molecular entry points for determining the pathways between genetic mutation and disease, with the goal of translating the results into improved treatment for glaucoma. A particular focus has been study of the contribution of members of the TGF-beta family to retinal and optic nerve development, in projects that integrate human genetics with analyses of model organisms (primarily zebrafish). These collaborations have led to the formation of a vision research team at the University of Alberta http://www.eyeteam.med.ualberta.ca integrating clinical ophthalmology with genetic and biochemical approaches to define the molecular basis of blindness.

Positions Available
Positions are available for motivated graduate students wanting to obtain a Ph.D, who have a background in an aspect of molecular biology and a keen interest to learn. Additional posts are available for post-doctoral fellows and clinical research fellows.

Projects Include
• Characterization of disease associated copy number variations

• Genetic investigation of novel forms of glaucoma

• Determining the contribution of multi-allelic inheritance to early onset ocular phenotypes

Sources of Funding
CIHR, AHFMR, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and Alberta Health Services.

Mutation of the Bone Morphogenetic Protein GDF3 causes ocular and skeletal anomalies. Ye M*, Berry KM*, Asai-Coakwell M, Sundaresan P, Footz T, French CR, Abitbol M, Fleisch VC, Corbett N, Allison W, Drummond G, Walter MA, Underhill T, Waskiewicz AJ and Lehmann OJ. Human Molecular Genetics (2009) in press [PMID: 19864492]

FOXC1 is required for normal cerebellar development and is a major contributor to chromosome 6p25.3 Dandy-Walker malformation. Aldinger KA, Lehmann OJ, Hudgins L, Chizhikov VV, Bassuk AG, Ades LC, Krantz ID, Dobyns WB, Millen KJ. Nature Genetics (2009) 41:1037-42.

Incomplete penetrance and phenotypic variability characterize Gdf6-attributable oculo-skeletal phenotypes. Asai-Coakwell M, French CR, Ye M, Garcha K, Bigot K, Perera A, Staehling-Hampton K, Mema S, Chanda B, Mushegian A, Bamforth S, Doschak MR, Li G, Dobbs MB, Giampietro PF, Brooks BP, Vijayalakshmi P, Sauvé Y, Abitbol M, Sundaresan P, van Heyningen V, Pourquié O, Underhill TM, Waskiewicz AJ, Lehmann OJ. Human Molecular Genetics (2009) 18:1110-21

A novel mechanistic spectrum underlies glaucoma associated chromosome 6p25 copy number variation. Chanda B, Asai-Coakwell M, Ye M, Mungall AJ, Barrow M, Dobyns WB, Behesti H, Sowden JC, Carter NP, Walter MA, Lehmann OJ. Human Molecular Genetics (2008) 17:3446-58.

GDF6 – a novel locus for a spectrum of ocular developmental anomalies. Asai-Coakwell M*, French CR*, Berry K, Ye M, Koss R, Somerville M, Mueller R, van Heyningen V, Waskiewicz AJ, Lehmann OJ. American Journal of Human Genetics (2007) 80:306-315.

Reduced human and murine corneal thickness in an Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome subtype. Asai-Coakwell M, Backhouse C, Casey RJ, Gage PJ, Lehmann OJ. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (2006) 47:4905-9.

Establishment of a predictive mutational model of the Forkhead domain through the analyses of FOXC2 missense mutations identified in patients with hereditary lymphedema with distichiasis. Berry FB, Tamimi Y, Carle MV, Lehmann OJ, Walter MA. Human Molecular Genetics (2005) 14:2619-27

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms and glaucoma severity. Bunce C, Hitchings RA, Bhattacharya SS, Lehmann OJ. American Journal of Human Genetics (2003) 72:1594-1595.

Fox’s in development and disease. Lehmann OJ, Sowden J, Carlsson P, Jordan T, Bhattacharya SS. Trends in Genetics 19: 339-344.