Professor David St Clair
Chair in Applied Medicine
Personal Details
| Telephone: | +44 (0)1224 553879/+44 (0)1224 557950 |
| E-mail: | d.stclair@abdn.ac.uk |
Research Interests
Psychiatric Genetics, particularly of schizophrenia.
Biography
Professor in Psychiatry and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist with NHS Grampian, Professor David St Clair's career at the University of Aberdeen began in 1995 with a move from Edinburgh where he had held the position of Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow at MRC Human Genetics Unit. Main research interest is understanding the basic causes of schizophrenia and developing new methods of diagnosing and classifying major mental illness. He has made a significant contribution to the genetics of schizophrenia and is part of a both the International Schizophrenia and SGENE consortia who are performing genome wide studies of DNA from large numbers of schizophrenia cases and controls. Other ongoing studies in Aberdeen include schizophrenia bio-marker development and translational studies in Disc-1 transgenic mice. He holds an advisory professorship at Shanghai Jiaotong University and an adjunct professorship at Columbia University. He has identified pre-natal nutritional deficiency as a major environmental risk factor for schizophrenia and in collaboration with colleagues at Jiaotong and Shanghai large scale field studies have begun to identify the mechanisms responsible.
Selected Publications
Prata D, Breen G, Osborne S, Munro J, St Clair D, Collier D. (2008) Association of DAO and G72(DAOA)/G30 genes with bipolar affective disorder. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatric Genet. Sep 5;147B(6):914-917.
Hennah W, Thomson P, McQuillin A, Bass N, Loukola A, Anjorin A, Blackwood D, Curtis D, Deary IJ, Harris SE, Isometsa ET, Lawrence J, Lonnqvist J, Muir W, Palotie A, Partonen T, Paunio T, Pylkko E, Robinson M, Soronen P, Suominen K, Suvisaari J, Thirumalai S, Clair DS, Gurling H, Peltonen L, Porteous D. (2008) DISC1 association, heterogeneity and interplay in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Mol Psychiatry, Mar 4.
Ferreira MA, O'Donovan MC, Meng YA, St Clair D, Robinson M, Van Beck M et al. (2008) Collaborative genome-wide association analysis supports a role for ANK3 and CACNA1C in bipolar disorder. Nat Genet. Aug 17
Shen Q, Li ZQ, Sun Y, Wang T, Wan CL, Li XW, Zhao XZ, Feng GY, Li Sh, St Clair D, He L, Yu L (2008) The role of pro-inflammatory factors in mediating the effects on the fetus of prenatal undernutrition: implications for schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. Feb;99(1-3):48-55.
Stefansson H, Rujescu D, Cichon S, St Clair D, et al. (2008) Large recurrent microdeletions associated with schizophrenia. Nature Sept 11; 455 (7210): 232-6.
Stone JL, O'Donovan MC, Gurling H, St Clair D, et al. (2008) Rare chromosomal deletions and duplications increase risk of schizophrenia. Nature Sept 11; 455 (7210) 237-41.
Susser E, St Clair D, He L. (2008) Latent effects of prenatal malnutrition on adult health: the example of schizophrenia. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1136:185-92
Xu MQ, St Clair D, Feng GY, Lin ZG, He G, Li X, He L. (2008) BDNF gene is a genetic risk factor for schizophrenia and is related to the chlorpromazine-induced extrapyramidal syndrome in the Chinese population. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 18(6): 449-57
Ma J, Fan JB, Bian L, Zhang CS, Li XW, Gu NF, Feng GY, St Clair D, He L. (2008) Association study of a (TG)n dinucleotide repeat at chromosome 15q13.3 and schizophrenia in the Chinese population. Psychiatry Res. 159(1-2):245-9
Silberberg G, Levit A, Collier, D, St Clair D, Munro J, Kerwin RW, Tondo L, Floris G, Breen G, Navon R. (2008) Stargazin involvment with bipolar disorder and response to lithium treatment. Pharmacogenet Genomics 18(5):403-12
Puri V, McQuillin A, Datta S, Choudhury K, Pimm J, Thirumalai S, Krasucki R, Lawrence J, Quested D, Bass N, Crombie C, Fraser G, Walker N, Moorey H, Ray MK, Sule A, Curtis D, St Clair D, Gurling H. (2008) Confirmation of the genetic association between the U2AF homolgy motif (UHM) kinase 1 (UHMK1) gene and schizophrenia on chromosome 1q23.3. Eur J Hum Genet.
Burton PR, Clayton DG, Cardon LR, St Clair D, et al. (2007) Association scan 14,500 nonsynonymous SNPs in four diseases identifies autoimmunity variants. Nature Genet. 39(11):1329-37.
Choudhury K, McQuillin A, Puri V, Pimm J, Datta S, Thirumalai S, Krasucki R, Lawrence J, Bass NJ, Quested D, Crombie C, Fraser G, Walker N, Nadeem H, Johnson S, Curtis D, St Clair D, Gurling HM(2007)A genetic association study of chromosome 11q22-24 in two different samples implicates the FXYD6 gene, encoding phosphohippolin, in susceptibility to schizophrenia. Am J Hum Genet.;80(4):664-72
Xu MQ, St Clair D, Ott J, Feng GY, He L. (2007) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene C-270T and Val66Met functional polymorphisms and risk of schizophrenia: A moderate-scale population-based study and meta-analysis. Schizophr Res.;91(1-3):6-13
Zhao X,Tang R,Gao B, Shi Y, Zhou J, Guo S, Zhang J, Wang Y, Tang W, Meng J, Li S, Wang H, Ma G, Lin C, Xiao Y, Feng G, Lin Z, Zhu S, Xing Y, Sang H, St Clair D, He L. (2007)Functional Variants in the Promoter Region of Chitinase 3-Like 1 (CHI3L1) and Susceptibility to Schizophrenia. Am J Hum Genet. 80:12-8.
Low WC,Junna M,Borjesson-Hansen A, Morris CM et al(2007) Hereditary multi-infarct dementia of the Swedish type is a novel disorder different from NOTCH3 causing CADASIL. Brain 130:357-67.
Prata DP,Breen G,Munro J,Sinclair M,Osbourne S,LiT,Kerwin R,,St Clair D,Collier DA (2006) Bipolar 1 disorder is not associated with RGS4,PRODH, COMT and GRK3 genes.Psychiatric Genet.16:229-30.
Bestelmyer PE,Tatler BW,Philips LH,Fraser G,Benson PJ,St Clair D. (2006) Global visual scanning abnormalities in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia Research 87:212-22.
Pasdar A,Ross Adams,H,Cumming A,Cheung J,Whalley L,St Clair D,Macleod MJ.(2006) Paroxonase polymorphisms and haplotype analysis in stroke population. BMC Med Gen 7.28
Feng Zhang, Jane Sargison, Caroline Crombie, Nick Walker, David St Clair and Duncan Shaw.(2006) Genetic Association between schizophrenia and DISC1 gene in Scottish population. Neuropsychiatric Genetics 141:155-9.
Li J, Gao JJ, Zhang FC, Xing QH, Dang FL, Gao XC, Duan SW, Zheng ZJ, Qian XQ, Qin W, Li XW, Han YF, Li J, Feng GY, St Clair D, He L.(2006) An association study between the transthyretin (TTR) gene and mental retardation. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 256:230-5.
Breen G, Prata D, Osbourne S, Munro J,.Sinclair M, Li T, Dempster D, Sainz R ,Arroyo B, Kerwin RW, St Clair D and Collier DA (2006) The dysbindin gene is associated with bipolar affective disorder. American J Psychiatry 163:1636-8.
Flomen R,Collier DA,Osborne S,Munro J,Breen G,St Clair D,Makoff AJ (2006)Association study of CHRFAM7A copy number and 2bp deletion polymorphisms with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder.Neuropsychiatric Genetics 141:571-5.
Ma J, Qin W, Wang XY, Guo TW, Bian L, Duan SW, Li XW, Zou FG, Fang YR, Fang JX, Feng GY, Gu NF, St Clair D, He L (2006).Further evidence for the association between G72/G30 genes and schizophrenia in two ethnically distinct populations. Molecular Psychiatry. 11:479-87.
Nishiguchi N, Breen G, Russ C, St Clair D, Collier D. (2006) Association analysis of the glycogen synthase kinase-3beta gene in bipolar disorder. Neurosci Lett. 394:243-5.
Talkowski ME, Seltman H, Bassett AS, Brzustowicz LM, Chen X, Chowdari KV et al (2006). Evaluation of a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia: genotype based amta-analysis of RGS4 polymorphisms form thirteen independent samples .Biological Psychiatry 60-152-62.
Jin-Bo Fan, Chang-Shun Zhang, Niu-Fan Gu, Xing-Wang Li, Wei-Wei Sun, Hong-Yan Wang, Guo-Yin Feng, David St Clair, Lin He. (2005) Association between the functional catechol-O-methyltransferase gene polymorphism and schizophrenia: A large-scale association study plus the relevant meta-analysis Biological Psychiatry 57: 139-144.
Neves-Pereira M, Cheung JK, Pasdar A, Zhang F, Breen G, Yates P, Sinclair M, Crombie C, Walker N, St Clair DM (2005) BDNF gene is a risk factor for schizophrenia in a Scottish population. Molecular Psychiatry 10: 208-12.
A. Helgadottir, S. Gretarsdottir, D. St. Clair, A. Manolescu, J. Cheung, G. Thorleifsson, A. Pasdar, S.F. Grant, H. Hakonarson, U. Thorsteinsdottir, A. Kong, J. Gulcher, K. Stefansson and M.J. MacLeod (2005) Association of the gene encoding 5-Lipoxygenase activating protein to stroke replicated in a Scottish population. American J Human Genetics 76: 505-9
Pritchard A, Harris J, Pritchard CW, St Clair D, Lemmon H, Lambert JC, Chartier-Harlin MC, Hayes A, Thaker U, Iwatsubo T, Mann DM, Lendon C (2005) Association study and meta-analysis of low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein in Alzheimer's disease. Neurosci Lett 382: 221-6.
Guo TW, Zhang FC, Gao JJ, Bian L, Gao XC, Ma J, Yang M, Ji Q, Duan SW, Zheng ZJ, Li RL, Feng GY, St Clair D, He L. (2005) Polymorphisms in the TSHR (thyrotropin receptor) gene on chromosome 14q31 are not associated with mental retardation in the iodine-deficient areas of China Neurosci Lett 382: 179-84
Talin Haritunians, Tiffany Chow, Robert P.J. De Lange, James T. Nichols, B.S., Darlene Ghavimi, M.S., Naghmeh Dorrani, David St Clair, Gerry Weinmaster, Carolyn Schanen, Functional analysis of a recurrent missense mutation in Notch3 in CADASIL (2005) Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 76: 1242-8
David St Clair, Mingqing Xu, Peng Wang Yaqin Yu, Yourong Fang, Feng Zhang, Xiaoying Zheng, Niufan Gu, Guoyin Feng, Pak Sham, Lin He. (2005) Increased rates of adult schizophrenia following prenatal exposure to Chinese famine of 1959-61. JAMA 294: 557-62.
Tao Li, Feng Zhang, Xiehe Liu1, Xueli Sun1, Pak C Sham, Caroline Crombie, Xiaohong Ma1, Qiang Wang1, Huaqing Meng, Wei Deng Phil Yates Xun Hu,Nicholas Walker, Robin M Murray, David St Clair and David Collier. (2005) Identifying potential risk haplotypes for schizophrenia at DTNBP1 locus in Han Chinese and Scottish populations. Molecular Psychiatry 10: 1037-1044.
Zhang F, St Clair D, X Liu, X Sun, PC Sham, C Crombie, et al (2005) Association analysis of RGS4 gene in Han Chinese and Scottish populations. Genes, Brain and Behaviour 4: 444-448.
Yong Zhang, Angela Hays, Antonia Pritchard, M. Sayeed Haque, Helen Lemmon, Al Cumming, Jean-Charles Lambert, Maire Chartier Harlin, David St Clair, David M Mann, Corinne Lendon. (2004) Interleucin 6 Promoter polymorphism:risk and pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Neuroscience Letters 20; 362:99-102.
Chen Q, He G, Qin W, Chen QY, Zhao XZ, Duan SW, Liu XM, Feng GY, Xu YF, St Clair D, Li M, Wang JH, Xing YL, Shi JG, He L (2004). Family-Based Association Study of Synapsin II and Schizophrenia. American Journal Human Genetics 75: 873-877.
Vinod Goel, Angela Bartolo, David St Clair, Annalena Veneeri (2004). Logical Reasoning deficits in Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research 66: 87-88.
Zhao X, Shi Y, Tang J, Tang R, Yu L, Gu Nfeng G, Zhu S, Liu H, Xing Y, Xhao S, Sang H, Guan Y, St Clair D, He L (2004) A case control and family based association study of the neuregulin 1gene and leave schizo. Journal of Medical Genetics 41: 31-34.
Fan J, Yang MS, Tang JX, He L, Xing YL, Shi JG, Zhao SM, Zhu SM, Ji LP, Gu NF, Feng ~GY, St Clair D (2004) Family based association study of the monoamine oxidase A gene promoter polymorphisms and schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research 67: 107-109
Gao J, Zhang F, Guo T, Gao X, Duan S, Wang H, Zheng Z, Huang T, Feng G, St Clair D, He L(2004). Distribution of apolipoprotein E allele frequencies of the Han Chinese in an iodine-deficient mountainous area. Ann Hum Biol 31: 578-85.
Cook LJ, Ho LW, Taylor AE, Brayne C, Evans JG, Xuereb J, Cairns NJ, Pritchard A, Lemmon H, Mann D, St Clair D, Turic D, Hollingworth P, Moore PJ, Jehu L, Archer N, Walter S, Foy C, Edmondson A, Powell J, Lovestone S, Owen MJ, Williams J, Lendon C, Rubinsztein DC (2004) Candidate gene association studies of the alpha4 (CHRNA4) and beta2 (CHRNB2) neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit genes in Alzheimer's disease. Neuroscience Letters 358: 142-146
Breen G, Harwood AJ, Gregory K, Sinclair M, Collier D, St Clair D, Williams R (2004) Two peptidase activities decrease in treated bipolar disorder not schizophrenic patients. Bipolar Disorder 6: 56-161
Corvin AP, DW Morris, K McGhee, S Schwaiger, P Scully, J Quinn, D Meagner, D St Clair, J Waddington, M Gill (2004). Confirmation and refinement of an at risk cluster haplotype schizophrenia suggests the EST cluster Hs 97362 as a potential susceptibility gene at the Neuregulin-I locus. Molecular Psychiatry 9: 208-13
Yu L, Li T, Robertson Z, Dean J, Gu NF, Feng GY, Yates P, Sinclair M, Crombie C, Collier DA, Walker N, He L, St Clair D. (2004) No association between polymorphisms of methylene-tetra-hydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene and schizophrenia in both Chinese and Scottish populations. Molecular Psychiatry 9: 1063-65
Ting-wei Guo, Fu-chang Zhang, Mao-sheng Yang, Xiao-cai Gao, Li Bian, Shi-wei Duan, Zi-jian Zhen, Jian-jun Gao, Hongyan Wang, Rui-lin Li, Guo-yin Feng, David St Clair and Lin He (2004) Positive Association of the DIO2 (Deiodinase type 2) Gene with Mental Retardation in the iodine deficient areas of China. Journal of Medical Genetics 41: 585-90.
Pritchard A, St Clair D, Lemmon H, Mann DM, Lendon C (2004). No association between polymorphisms in the lectin-like oxidised low-density lipoprotein receptor (ORL1) gene on chromosome 12 and Alzheimer's disease in a UK cohort. Neuroscience Letters 12; 366:126-9.
Fan JB, Ma J, Zhang CS, Tang JX, Gu NF, Feng GY, St Clair D, He L.(2003) A family-based association study of T1945C polymorphism in the proline dehydrogenase gene and schizophrenia in the Chinese population.. Neuroscience Letters 338: 252-4
Stefansson H, Sarginson J, Kong A, Yates P, Steinthorsdottir V, Gudfinnsson E, Gunnarsdottir S, Walker N, Petursson H, Crombie C, Ingason A, Gulcher JR, Stefansson K, St Clair D. (2003) Association of Neuregulin 1 with schizophrenia confirmed in a Scottish population. American Journal of Human Genetics 72: 83-7
Wanqing Liu, Gerome Breen, Sheng Li, Jiangang Zhang, Niufan Gu, Guoyin Feng, Shaochun Bai. Tao Shen, Hong Xue, David St Clair, and Lin He. (2003) Association of APOE gene with schizophrenia in Chinese: a possible risk factor in times of malnutrition. Schizophrenia Research 62: 225-30.
Ian J Deary, Lawrence J Whalley, David M St Clair, Gerome Breen, Steve Leaper, Helen Lemmon, Caroline Hayward, John M Starr. (2003) The influence of the 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene on childhood IQ, non-verbal reasoning in old age, and lifetime cognitive change. Intelligence 31: 85-92
Helen Fox, Brian Ross, Douglas Tocher, David Horrobin, Iain Glen and David St.Clair, (2003). Degradation of specific polyunsaturated fatty acids in red blood cells stored at –20 °C proceeds faster in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls. Prostaglandins, Leucotrines and Essential Fatty Acids 69: 291-297.
Yang JD, Feng GY, Zhang J, Cheung J, St Clair D, He Lin, Ichimura K (2003) Apolipoprotein –491 promoter polymorphism is an independent risk factor for Alzheimer;s disease. Neuroscience Letters 30: 215-216.