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Associate ProfessorWilhelmsen
Departments of Genetics and Neurology
Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies

Email | kirk@med.unc.edu
Lab Website | https://kirkwilhelmsen.web.unc.edu



Research Interests

The Wilhelmsen lab is engaged in the genetic mapping of susceptibility loci for complex neurological diseases and has been developing large-scale automated gene mapping technologies to facilitate these mapping efforts. They have invested heavily in automation that enables high-throughput genotyping and data processing. As data accumulates, this will enable parametric and nonparametric linkage analysis of large numbers of traits at regular intervals for the entire genome. The Wilhelmsen lab is applying these techniques to two projects: (1) the genetics of alcoholism and (2) positional cloning of the gene responsible for a family of disorders called frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17).

Recent Publications

Click for full publication list on PubMed

Whole genome sequence study of cannabis dependence in two independent cohorts. Gizer IR, Bizon C, Gilder DA, Ehlers CL, Wilhelmsen KC. Addict Biol. 2017 Jan 23. doi: 10.1111/adb.12489. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:28111843

A genome-wide interaction analysis of tricyclic/tetracyclic antidepressants and RR and QT intervals: a pharmacogenomics study from the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium. Noordam R, Sitlani CM, Avery CL, Stewart JD, Gogarten SM, Wiggins KL, Trompet S, Warren HR, Sun F, Evans DS, Li X, Li J, Smith AV, Bis JC, Brody JA, Busch EL, Caulfield MJ, Chen YI, Cummings SR, Cupples LA, Duan Q, Franco OH, Méndez-Giráldez R, Harris TB, Heckbert SR, van Heemst D, Hofman A, Floyd JS, Kors JA, Launer LJ, Li Y, Li-Gao R, Lange LA, Lin HJ, de Mutsert R, Napier MD, Newton-Cheh C, Poulter N, Reiner AP, Rice KM, Roach J, Rodriguez CJ, Rosendaal FR, Sattar N, Sever P, Seyerle AA, Slagboom PE, Soliman EZ, Sotoodehnia N, Stott DJ, Stürmer T, Taylor KD, Thornton TA, Uitterlinden AG, Wilhelmsen KC, Wilson JG, Gudnason V, Jukema JW, Laurie CC, Liu Y, Mook-Kanamori DO, Munroe PB, Rotter JI, Vasan RS, Psaty BM, Stricker BH, Whitsel EA. J Med Genet. 2016 Dec 30. pii: jmedgenet-2016-104112. doi: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2016-104112. PMID:28039329

Integration of expression quantitative trait loci and pleiotropy identifies a novel psoriasis susceptibility gene, PTPN1. Yin X, Lin Y, Shen C, Wang L, Zuo X, Zheng X, Yang S, Liu J, Wilhelmsen KC, Zhang X. J Gene Med. 2017 Jan;19(1-2). doi: 10.1002/jgm.2939. PMID:27976820

A Novel Tobacco Use Phenotype Suggests the 15q25 and 19q13 Loci May be Differentially Associated With Cigarettes per Day and Tobacco-Related Problems. Richmond-Rakerd LS, Otto JM, Slutske WS, Ehlers CL, Wilhelmsen KC, Gizer IR. Nicotine Tob Res. 2016 Sep 23. pii: ntw260. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:27663783

Common susceptibility variants are shared between schizophrenia and psoriasis in the Han Chinese population. Yin X, Wineinger NE, Wang K, Yue W, Norgren N, Wang L, Yao W, Jiang X, Wu B, Cui Y, Shen C, Cheng H, Zhou F, Chen G, Zuo X, Zheng X, Fan X, Wang H, Wang L, Lee J, Lam M, Tai ES, Zhang Z, Huang Q, Sun L, Xu J, Yang S, Wilhelmsen KC, Liu J, Schork NJ, Zhang X. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2016 Oct;41(6):413-421. PMID:27091718