Identifying newly arising mutations causing heart disease in babies

Associate Professor Eleni Giannoulatou, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute Limited

2016 Future Leader Fellowship

Years funded: 2017-2022

New DNA mutations can be the cause of birth defects. The most common birth defect is congenital heart disease affecting at least 2,000 babies in Australia every year. Over the next 4 years, my research program will use quantitative and analytical approaches to understand the emergence of new mutations in the human genome and identify mutations causing congenital heart disease. This will advance our understanding of congenital heart disease causation and improve genetic counselling.