Lab personnel
- Dr Megan Leask Pūkeka | Lecturer
Research interests
My research interests centre on the genetics of complex disease with particular expertise in the genetics of gout, chronic kidney disease and serum urate control.
I also carry out research working with Indigenous Māori and Pacific genetics.
I have a strong interest in addressing the unmet need for functional datasets (e.g. eQTL and metQTL) for these underrepresented groups.
Finally I work with non-coding genetic variation and using assays in zebrafish and cell-lines assign regulatory function
Research topics
- Non-coding regulatory variation function in complex disease
- Māori and Pacific-specific genetic variation
Current funding
- 2023 Veteran Affairs Merit Award, Principal Investigator Lou Dell’Italia $700K USD
- 2022 Diversity Supplement for NIH NIAMS R01, Functional and Integrative Omics of Recurrent Gout Flares, Principal Investigator Richard Reynolds $250K USD
- 2022 HRC Project, The CALCRL receptor: A new genetic determinant of diabetic kidney disease in NZ, Principal Investigator, Alan Davidson $1.2M
- 2022 Maurice Wilkins Centre Project Funding, Role of JAZF1 SNP in diabetes risk, Principal Investigator, Julia Horsfield $100K
- 2021 Marsden Fund, Training natural language models to understand genomics and study gout in Māori and Pacific populations, Principal Investigator, Alex Gavryushkin $685K
- 2020 HRC Emerging Researcher First Grant, Decoding GWAS to combat renal disease in Māori and Pacific peoples, Principal Investigator $300K
Previous funding
- 2021 Maurice Wilkins Centre Category 2 Funding, Principal Investigator $10K
- 2020 UoO Te Poutama Māori Collaboration Grant, Investigating links between bone mass, metabolic traits and appetite in Māori. Principal Investigator, $10K
- 2019 HRC Māori Career Development Award. Principal Investigator. $285K
- 2016 Lottery Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Principal Investigator $75K
Teaching
- PHSL 343 Cellular and Epithelial Physiology
Publications
Toomata, Z., Leask, M., Krishnan, M., Cadzow, M., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L. K., … Merriman, T., Wilcox, P., … Murphy, R. (2023). Genetic testing for misclassified monogenic diabetes in Māori and Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand with early-onset type 2 diabetes. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 14, 1174699. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1174699
Moors, J., Krishnan, M., Sumpter, N., Takei, R., Bixley, M., Cadzow, M., Major, T. J., Phipps Green, A., Topless, R., Merriman, M., Rutledge, M., Morgan, B., … Stamp, L., Taumoepeau, M., … Wilcox, P., … McCormick, S., … Merriman, T. R., & Leask, M. (2023). A Polynesian-specific missense CETP variant alters the lipid profile. Human Genetics & Genomic Advances. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2023.100204
Brandon, R., Jiang, Y., Yeu, R. Q., Tweedie-Cullen, R., Smallman, K., Doherty, G., … Leask, M. P., Merriman, T. R., … Murphy, R. (2023). Stratified glucose-lowering response to vildagliptin and pioglitazone by obesity and hypertriglyceridemia in a randomized crossover trial. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13, 1091421. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1091421
Mandal, A. K., Leask, M. P., Sumpter, N. A., Choi, H. K., Merriman, T. R., & Mount, D. B. (2023). Genetic and physiological effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on human urate homeostasis. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1681/ASN.0000000000000054
Brandon, R., Jiang, Y., Yeu, R. Q., Tweedie-Cullen, R., Smallman, K., Doherty, G., … Leask, M., Merriman, T. R., … Paul, R., & Murphy, R. (2022, August). Precision medicine in diabetes: Type 2 diabetes medication Which One is Right Here? (WORTH) study. Verbal presentation at the Metabolic & Cardiovascular Disease Satellite Meeting: Queenstown Research Week, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Chang, H. H. G., Leask, M. P., Kallingappa, P. K., Merry, T. L., Hotu, C., de Zoysa, J., … Fronius, M., … Hay, D. L., Merriman, T. R., & Davidson, A. J. (2022, August). The CALCRL receptor: A potential new genetic determinant of diabetic kidney disease in NZ. Verbal presentation at the Metabolic & Cardiovascular Disease Satellite Meeting: Queenstown Research Week, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Lupi, A. S., Sumpter, N. A., Leask, M. P., O'Sullivan, J., Fadason, T., de los Campos, G., Merriman, T. R., … Vazquez, A. I. (2022). Local genetic covariance between serum urate and kidney function estimated with Bayesian multitrait models. Genes Genomes Genetics, jkac158. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac158
Sumpter, N. A., Takei, R., Leask, M. P., Reynolds, R. J., & Merriman, T. R. (2022). Genetic association studies of the progression from hyperuricaemia to gout. Rheumatology, 61, e139-e140. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keac011
Brandon, R., Jiang, Y., Yeu, R. Q., Tweedie-Cullen, R., Smallman, K., Doherty, G., … Leask, M., Merriman, T. R., … Murphy, R. (2022). Randomised cross-over trial of vidagliptin and pioglitazone as add-on therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes: Predicting Which One is Righ Here (WORTH) Study: Predicting type 2 diabetes medication response. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes (NZSSD) Annual Scientific Meeting. (pp. 30). Retrieved from https://www.ivvy.com.au/event/NZSSD22/welcome.html
Wang, K., Cadzow, M., Bixley, M., Leask, M. P., Merriman, M. E., Yang, Q., … Takei, R., Phipps-Green, A., Major, T. J., Topless, R., … Stamp, L. K., … Merriman, T. R. (2022). A Polynesian-specific copy number variant encompassing the MICA gene associates with gout. Human Molecular Genetics, 31(21), 3757-3768. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddac094
Morice, M., Bixley, M., Cadzow, M., Major, T., Phipps-Green, A., Topless, R., Merriman, M., Merriman, T. R., Leask, M., & Horsfield, J. (2021). Replication of a Māori and Pacific-specific T2D-risk variant within JAZF1. New Zealand Medical Journal, 134(1547), (pp. 142). Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Leask, M., Carleton, C., Leeke, B., Newman, T., Antoun, J., Farella, M., & Horsfield, J. (2021). Riboceine rescues auranofin-induced craniofacial defects in zebrafish. Antioxidants, 10, 1964. doi: 10.3390/antiox10121964
Leask, M. P., & Merriman, T. R. (2021). The genetic basis of urate control and gout: Insights into molecular pathogenesis from follow-up study of genome-wide association study loci. Best Practice & Research: Clinical Rheumatology, 35, 101721. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2021.101721
Mandal, A. K., Leask, M. P., Estiverne, C., Choi, H. K., Merriman, T. R., & Mount, D. B. (2021). Genetic and physiological effects of insulin on human urate homeostasis. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 713710. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.713710
Leask, M., Lovegrove, M., Romeril, A., Duncan, E., & Dearden, P. (2021). Evolution and genomic organization of the insect sHSP gene cluster and coordinate regulation in phenotypic plasticity. BMC Ecology & Evolution, 21, 154. doi: 10.1186/s12862-021-01885-8
Topless, R. K., Phipps-Green, A., Leask, M., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L. K., Robinson, P. C., & Merriman, T. R. (2021). Gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and the risk of death related to coronavirus disease 2019: An analysis of the UK Biobank. ACR Open Rheumatology, 3(5), 333-340. doi: 10.1002/acr2.11252
Sumpter, N., Lupi, A., Leask, M., Merriman, T., Vazquez, A., & Reynolds, R. (2020). Genomic regions jointly associated with eGFR and serum urate: Implications for shared genetic etiology of hyperuricemia and chronic kidney disease. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 72(Suppl. 10), 0661. [Abstract]
Leask, M., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L., Merriman, T., Phipps-Green, A., Topless, R., Boocock, J., … Leaupepe, K., & Stahl, E. (2020). Polynesian-specific gout-associated frameshift variant in PRPSAP1. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 72(Suppl. 10), 0659. [Abstract]
Leask, M. P., Sumpter, N. A., Lupi, A. S., Vazquez, A. I., Reynolds, R. J., Mount, D. B., & Merriman, T. R. (2020). The shared genetic basis of hyperuricemia, gout, and kidney function. Seminars in Nephrology, 40(6), 586-599. doi: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2020.12.002
Moors, J., Leask, M., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L., Hindmarsh, J. H., & Merriman, T. (2020). Novel CETP variant associates with increased HDL and low LDL in Polynesian populations. In A. Finigan, P. Vakaoti, R. Richards, M. Schaaf, M. Colombo, M. Taumoepeau & L. Moata'ane (Eds.), Proceedings of the Pacific Postgraduate Symposium: Pacific Voices XVII. (pp. 33). Dunedin, New Zealand: Pacific Islands Centre, University of Otago. Retrieved from https://www.otago.ac.nz/pacific
Duncan, E. J., Leask, M. P., & Dearden, P. K. (2020). Genome architecture facilitates phenotypic plasticity in the honeybee (Apis mellifera). Molecular Biology & Evolution, 37(7), 1964-1978. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msaa057
Boocock, J., Leask, M., Okada, Y., Asian Genetic Epidemiology Network (AGEN) Consortium, Matsuo, H., Shi, Y., … Cadzow, M., Gosling, A. L., Major, T. J., Horsfield, J. A., … Merriman, T. R. (2020). Genomic dissection of 43 serum urate-associated loci provides multiple insights into molecular mechanisms of urate control. Human Molecular Genetics, 29(6), 923-943. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa013
Moors, J., Leask, M., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L., Hindmarsh, J. H., & Merriman, T. (2019). Novel CETP variant associates with increased HDL and low LDL in Polynesian populations. In A. Finigan, P. Vakaoti, R. Richards & M. Schaaf (Eds.), Proceedings of the Pacific Postgraduate Symposium: Pacific Voices XVI. (pp. 23). Dunedin, New Zealand: The Pacific Islands Centre, University of Otago. Retrieved from https://www.otago.ac.nz/pacific
Moors, J., Leask, M., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L., Hindmarsh, J. H., & Merriman, T. (2019). Pacific-specific CETP genetic variant associates with increased HDL and low LDL in Polynesian populations. Diabetologia, 62(Suppl. 1), (pp. S574-S575). [Abstract]
Panfilio, K. A., Vargas Jentzsch, I. M., Benoit, J. B., Erezyilmaz, D., Suzuki, Y., Colella, S., … Duncan, E. J., … Cridge, A. G., … Dearden, P. K., … Leask, M., … Lovegrove, M. R., … Tidswell, O., … Richards, S. (2019). Molecular evolutionary trends and feeding ecology diversification in the Hemiptera, anchored by the milkweed bug genome. Genome Biology, 20, 64. doi: 10.1186/s13059-019-1660-0
