Dr Pamela McCaskie

Pam is a genetic statistician with applied and methodological interests in the genetics of complex human disease. She is currently completing a PhD at the Laboratory for Genetic Epidemiology, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research. Her current research involves applied and methodological aspects of haplotype imputation, analysis, as well as the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism and epidemiological data and software development for such analyses. This research is primarily involved with phenotypes associated with cardiovascular disease. She has been working with a cardiovascular research group at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital since January 2004, providing statistical support and analysis.

Qualifications

2002	BSc - Double major in Human Biology and Applied Statistics, University of Western Australia
2003	BSc (Hons, first class) - Applied Statistics, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Western Australia

Research Interests

• Applied and methodological research in genetic statistics and bioinformatics
• Epidemiology and genetic epidemiology of complex human diseases
• Industrial statistics and Total Quality Management

Recent Awards and Honours

2003	Applied Probability Trust Richard Tweedie Memorial Prize
2003	AMSI Student Travel Scholarship to BioInfoSummer: AMSI Summer Symposium in Bioinformatics
2004-present	Australian Postgraduate Award, University of Western Australia
2004-present	Departmental Ad Hoc Scholarship
2004	Western Australian Institute for Medical Research Travel Award
2004	International Genetic Epidemiology Society Travel award to attend the 13th annual meeting
2004	Genetic Analysis Workshop Travel Award to attend the 14th Genetic Analysis Workshop
2005	Postgraduate Research School Travel Award
2005	Western Australian Institute for Medical Research Travel Award
2005	International Genetic Epidemiology Society Travel award to attend the 14th annual meeting
2005	Convocation Postgraduate Research Travel Award for 2006

Scientific Involvement

• Statistical Society of Australia Inc - Member 2003 onwards, Young Statistician Representative for Western Australia 2005 to 2006, WA Branch Secretary 2007, National Young Statistician Representative 2007.
• International Genetic Epidemiology Society - Member 2004, Memberships Committee 2005 onwards.

Publications

Examined Theses

1. McCaskie PA. A statistical analysis of microarray data: the effect of the HOX11 gene on other genes. BSc Honours Thesis. Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 2003.

Conference Presentations

1. McCaskie PA. A haplotype of the oxidizing enzyme 15-lipoxygenase is associated with cardiovascular outcomes in a Perth community population. Australasian Human Gene Mapping Meeting, Perth, 10-11 August 2004.
2. McCaskie PA. The effect of missing data on linkage disequilibrium mapping. Genetic Analysis Workshop 14, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, 7-10 September 2004.

Published Abstracts

1. McCaskie PA, Carter KW, Hazelton M, Palmer LJ. SimHap: A comprehensive modeling framework and simulation-based approach to haplotype analysis for population data. Genetic Epidemiology 2005; 29(3):268.
2. McCaskie PA, Beilby JP, Chapman CML, McQuillan BM, Thompson PL, Hung J, Palmer LJ. Association between haplotypes in the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene and high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels: Results from three separate populations. Genetic Epidemiology 2004; 27(3):285.
3. McCaskie PA, Chapman CML, Beilby JP, Hung J, McQuillan BM, Carter KW, Thompson PL, Palmer LJ. SNPs and haplotypes in the 15-LOX gene are associated with intermediate phenotypes but not risk of coronary heart disease. Genetic Epidemiology 2007; 31(5):488.
4. McCaskie PA, Palmer LJ. Too correlated to be true? Complete separation and the problem of "bouncing betas". Genetic Epidemiology 2007; 31(5):489.

Peer-Reviewed Papers

1. McCaskie PA, Carter KW, McCaskie SR, Palmer LJ, The effect of missing data on linkage disequilibrium mapping and haplotype association analysis in the GAW 14 simulated data sets, BMC Genetics 2005; 6 Suppl 1:S151.
2. Carter KW, McCaskie PA, Palmer LJ, Genome wide linkage and association mapping of disease genes with the GAW14 simulated datasets, BMC Genetics 2006; 6 Suppl 1:S41.
3. Carter KW, McCaskie PA, Palmer LJ. JLIN:A Java based linkage disequilibrium plotter, BMC Bioinformatics 2006; 7:60.
4. McCaskie PA, Cadby G, Hung J, McQuillan BM, Chapman CML, Carter KW, Thompson PL, Palmer LJ, Beilby JP. The C-480T hepatic lipase polymorphism is associated with HDL-C but not with risk of coronary heart disease, Clinical Genetics 2006; 70:114-121.
5. McCaskie PA, Beilby JP, Chapman CM, Hung J, McQuillan BM, Thomson PL, Palmer LJ. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene haplotyles, plasma high-density lipoprotein levels and the risk of coronary heart disease, Human Genetics 2007; 121:401-411.

Reviewing for Scientific Journals

• Genetic Epidemiology
• International Journal of Epidemiology

Invited Lectures

2004	Haplotype analysis: More black boxes than Boeing. Statistical Society of Australia, WA Branch, Perth, Australia.
2005	Introduction to Genetic Epidemiology. Summer School Short Course, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
2005	Genetic Epidemiology for Epidemiologists. Short course, University of Bristol, UK.
2005	Linkage Disequilibrium and Haplotyping: Applications to Genetic Epidemiology. School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
2005	Postgraduate Research Opportunities: Wining, dining and international Stardom. 2005 Workshop for Western Australian Young Statisticians, Tompkins Park, Alfred Cove, Western Australia.
2005	Haplotype analysis for the masses. Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia.
2006	SNP and Haplotype Analysis: Numbers to Nature. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University College London, UK.
2006	Genetic Epidemiology for Epidemiologists. Conference Workshop, North American Congress of Epidemiology, Seattle, WA, USA.