Dr Jeffrey Craig

contact details

  Dr Jeffrey Craig
  Royal Children's Hospital
  Flemington Road
  Parkville
  Victoria, 3052

  T +61 3 8341 6346
  F +61 3 9348 1391
  E jeff.craig@mcri.edu.au

biography

Dr Jeff Craig gained his BSc degree in Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Manchester, UK in 1987. After four years working in the field of molecular cytogenetics in London, he moved to Edinburgh for his PhD, which involved discovering the structure-function relationships within chromosome banding patterns. He then had Postdoc positions in Germany, Edinburgh and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne before jointly establishing the Developmental Epigenetics Group with Dr Richard Saffery in 2006. The group focused on epigenetics in gestation, childhood and adolescence, and included studies of childhood leukaemia, prematurity and the Peri/Postnatal Epigenetic Twins Study (PETS) cohort.

In 2011 Dr Craig established the Early Life Epigenetics group within Murdoch Childrens with a focus on epigenetic changes associated with early development, and the link between environmental factors, development and disease. The PETS project remains at the heart of his research. Dr Craig has published in journals including Nature Genetics, Molecular Cell and the EMBO Journal and has been funded by the NHMRC for eight years.

achievements

NHMRC RD Wright Career Development Award, 2005-2009
Eppendorf Young Australian Researcher Award, 2006

research focus & interest

The DNA in each of our cells does not exist alone; it is packaged into complex structures called chromosomes, through association with many different proteins. These proteins change along the length of a chromosome and this phenomenon is called 'epigenetics', literally meaning 'above the DNA'. Before a cell divides to produce two new cells, it copies its DNA and proteins, giving the cell a 'memory' of how to make its chromosomes. This helps the cells to remain healthy. 

Epigenetics is the study of how proteins and other molecules can change the activity of a gene without changing the DNA. Our cells use epigenetic changes to help embryos develop and to prevent genetic diseases. Faulty epigenetic changes have been linked to many diseases including cancer and psychiatric disorders. Evidence also suggests a direct link between diet and environmental influences on our epigenetics. These changes could contribute to the development of diseases in both children and adults.

Jeffs work focuses on groups of individuals with a common research theme. For example, looking at how twins can have different epigenetic marks to shed light on what affects our epigenetics and future health during pregnancy. Furthermore studying the epigenetic legacy of being born premature and collaborating with groups studying  the effect of early life environments on epigenetics in animals.

publications

Saffery R, Morley R, Carlin JB, Joo JH, Ollikainen M, Novakovic B, Andronikos R, Li X, Loke YJ, Carson N, Wallace EM, Umstad MP, Permezel M, Galati JC, Craig JM.  Cohort Profile: The Peri/postnatal Epigenetic Twins Study (PETS). International Journal of Epidemiology (in press, July 2011)

Cobb JE, Wong NC, Yip LW, Martinick J, Bosnich R, Sinclair RD, Craig JM, Saffery R, Harrap SB, Ellis JA. Increased DNA methylation of the androgen receptor gene in occipital hair follicles from men with androgenetic alopecia. B J Dermatol (in press, March 2011).

Ollikainen M, Smith KR, Joo EJ-H, Ng HK., Andronikos R., Novakovic B., Abdul Aziz NK, Carlin, JB, Morley R, Saffery R Craig JM. DNA methylation analysis of multiple tissues from newborn twins reveals both genetic and intrauterine components to variation in the human neonatal epigenome. Human Molecular Genetics 19: 4176-4188.

Bachmann P, Piazza R, Janes M, Wong N, Davies C, Mogavero A, Bhadri V, Szymanska B, Geninson G, Magistroni V, Cazzaniga G, Biondi A, Miranda-Saavedra D, Gottgens B, Saffery R, Craig JM, Marshall G, Gambacorti-Passerini C, Pimanda J, Lock R.      Epigenetic silencing of BIM in glucocorticoid poor-responsive pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and its reversal by histone deacetylase inhibition. Blood 116: 3013-3022.

Olsson CA, Foley DL, Parkinson-Bates M, Byrnes G, McKenzie M, Patton GC, Morley R, Anney RJ, Craig JM, Saffery R (2010). Prospects for epigenetic research within cohort studies of psychological disorder: A pilot investigation of a peripheral cell marker of epigenetic risk for depression. Biol Psychol. 83: 159-65

Foley DL, Craig JM, Morley R, Olsson CJ, Dwyer T, Saffery R. (2009) Prospects for epigenetic epidemiology.  American Journal of Epidemiology 169: 389-400.

Blewitt MA, Gendrel M-V, Pang Z, Sparrow DB, Craig JM, Apedaile A, Hilton DJ, Dunwoodie SL, Brockdorff N, Kay GF, Whitelaw E (2008). SmcHD1, a protein containing a structural maintenance of chromosomes hinge domain, has a critical role in X inactivation. Nature Genetics. 50: 663-669.

Webster KE, O'Bryan MK, Fletcher S, Crewther PE, Aapola A, Craig JM, Harrison DK, Aung H, Phutikanit N, Lyle R, Meachem SJ, Antonarakis SE, de Kretser DM, Hedger MP, Peterson P, Carroll BJ, Scott HS (2005). Meiotic and epigenetic defects in Dnmt3L knockout mouse spermatogenesis. Proc. Natl. Adac. Sci. USA 102: 4068-4073

Harikrishnan KN, Chow MZ, Baker EK, Pal S, Bassal S, Brasacchio D, Wang L, Craig JM, Jones PL, Sif S and El-Osta A. (2005). Brahma links the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex with MeCP2-dependent transcriptional silencing. Nat Genet. 37: 254-264.