Melanie Bahlo

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Melanie Bahlo
AM FAHMS
Born
Germany[citation needed]
NationalityAustralian/German
EducationBSc Hons and PhD in population genetics from Monash University
TitleAssociate Professor and Statistical Genetics Lab head, Bioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, Parkville, VIC

Melanie Bahlo AM FAHMS is an Australian statistical geneticist and bioinformatician.

Biography[edit]

Bahlo’s interest with science and biology developed at a very young age. Growing up in Germany, she used to record the birds that came and visited her bird feeder during winter. [1] Bahlo attended secondary school at Albury High School in Albury, Australia.[2] She received her PhD in population genetics from Monash University in 1998.[3] Bahlo's research interests include statistics, genetics, bioinformatics, and population genetics. Her work has "led to the discovery of new genes involved in genetic diseases such as deafness and epilepsy".[3] She is a member of the team of scientists affiliated with the Lowy Medical Research Institute (LMRI) studying the genetic basis for macular telangiectasia type 2. [4] She directed the most recent Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS), which discovered common genetic variants associated with MacTel.

As of 2009 she is the Laboratory head in the Bioinformatics Division at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, where her work has focused on "high throughput sequencing data of human and non-human organisms".[5][6]

Bahlo's research projects have included:

  • In-silico gene prioritisation using brain specific gene expression data
  • Analysis methods for cell-free DNA for the detection of foetal anomalies and transplant rejection
  • Discovery of expanded repeats with whole genome sequencing data
  • Identification of identity by descent relationships with DNA data[7]

Bahlo and colleagues (Mark Bennett and Haloom Rafehi) from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and their international consortium have contributed to a decades-long global effort that revealed two new gene mutations that cause a rare type of epilepsy.[8]

Awards[edit]

Grants[edit]

  • 2014-2018 Program Grant “Computational and statistical bioinformatics for medical ‘omics’”, National Health and Medical Research Council[3]
  • 2008-2012 Program Grant “Genetic and Bioinformatic Analysis of Complex Human Diseases”, National Health and Medical Research Council

Service to the community[edit]

  • 2014 Panel Member, Marsden Fund New Zealand
  • 2014 Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science Lecture: “Using statistics to find the causes of inherited diseases”[11]
  • 2014 Invited attendee “Translation of Omics-Based Discoveries into Clinical Research and Practice”, Workshop, National Health and Medical Research Council
  • 2014 Gene Technology Access Centre Afternoon Tea with Victorian Teachers
  • 2014 Gene Technology Access Centre Year 9 Students “Meet the scientists”[12]

Memberships[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Solving the genetics puzzle". www.labonline.com.au. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  2. ^ "About Melanie Bahlo". Facebook. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Dr Melanie Bahlo". Victorian Centre for Biostatistics. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Melanie Bahlo, PhD". The Lowy Medical Research Institute. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b "2009 awardees: Career awards". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Prof Melanie Bahlo". Victorian Infection & Innumity Network. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Professor Melanie Bahlo: Projects". Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  8. ^ "New genetic cause of epilepsy found". medicalxpress.com. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  9. ^ "King's Birthday 2023 Honours - the full list". Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment Co. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Academy elects 28 new Fellows". AAHMS - Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  11. ^ "Anzaas Seminar; Dr Melanie Bahlo "Using Statistics To Find The Causes Of Inherited Diseases"". ANZAAS. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Professor Melanie Bahlo: Achievements". Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
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