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Professor Peter Visscher
Professor

Peter Visscher

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 344 37045

Overview

Background

Visscher joined the University of Queensland in 2011, where he is Professor of Quantitative Genetics. He is a Laureate Fellow of the Australian Research Council. Visscher was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2010, a Fellow of the Royal Society (London) in 2018 and a Foreign Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2018.

Visscher’s research is about genetic variation for complex traits (including quantitative traits and disease) in populations, with the broad aim to understand and quantify the causes and consequences of human trait variation.

Prof Peter Visscher, Prof Naomi Wray and Prof Jian Yang together comprise the Executive Team of the Program in Complex Trait Genomics (PCTG). PCTG comprises a critical mass of more than 30 post-doctoral researchers plus research assistants and students, all supported by external grant funding. Their skills lie in the ability to develop and apply statistical methods within the framework of quantitative, population and statistical genetics and to use theory to understand and predict results from data analyses. They play leading roles in the international research consortia. The focus of current research activities is in the detection and fine-mapping of loci underlying complex traits (including common disease), based upon theoretical studies and applications of methods to large datasets, in population genetics studies using theoretical approaches and high-density genetic marker data, and in systems genomics studies.

Availability

Professor Peter Visscher is:
Not available for supervision

Fields of research

Qualifications

  • Masters (Coursework) of Science, University of Edinburgh
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh

Research impacts

Visscher's research focuses on understanding individual differences betweeen people in traits that are important for health outcomes and ageing. A better understanding of the genes that underlie variation in risk to diseases may lead to better treatments.

Works

Search Professor Peter Visscher’s works on UQ eSpace

802 works between 1987 and 2025

1 - 20 of 802 works

2025

Journal Article

Socio-economic status is a social construct with heritable components and genetic consequences

Abdellaoui, Abdel, Martin, Hilary C., Kolk, Martin, Rutherford, Adam, Muthukrishna, Michael, Tropf, Felix C., Mills, Melinda C., Zietsch, Brendan P., Verweij, Karin J. H. and Visscher, Peter M. (2025). Socio-economic status is a social construct with heritable components and genetic consequences. Nature Human Behaviour e12925, 1-13. doi: 10.1038/s41562-025-02150-4

Socio-economic status is a social construct with heritable components and genetic consequences

2025

Journal Article

Author Correction: Heritable polygenic editing: the next frontier in genomic medicine?

Visscher, Peter M., Gyngell, Christopher, Yengo, Loic and Savulescu, Julian (2025). Author Correction: Heritable polygenic editing: the next frontier in genomic medicine?. Nature, 640 (8058), E5-E5. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-08904-4

Author Correction: Heritable polygenic editing: the next frontier in genomic medicine?

2025

Journal Article

Grey‐Matter Structure Markers of Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer's Conversion, Functioning and Cognition: A Meta‐Analysis Across 11 Cohorts

Couvy‐Duchesne, Baptiste, Frouin, Vincent, Bouteloup, Vincent, Koussis, Nikitas, Sidorenko, Julia, Jiang, Jiyang, Wink, Alle Meije, Lorenzini, Luigi, Barkhof, Frederik, Trollor, Julian N., Mangin, Jean‐François, Sachdev, Perminder S., Brodaty, Henry, Lupton, Michelle K., Breakspear, Michael, Colliot, Olivier, Visscher, Peter M., Wray, Naomi R., for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, the Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle flagship study of ageing, the Alzheimer's Disease Repository Without Borders Investigators and the MEMENTO cohort Study Group (2025). Grey‐Matter Structure Markers of Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer's Conversion, Functioning and Cognition: A Meta‐Analysis Across 11 Cohorts. Human Brain Mapping, 46 (2) e70089, e70089. doi: 10.1002/hbm.70089

Grey‐Matter Structure Markers of Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer's Conversion, Functioning and Cognition: A Meta‐Analysis Across 11 Cohorts

2025

Journal Article

Heritable polygenic editing: the next frontier in genomic medicine?

Visscher, Peter M., Gyngell, Christopher, Yengo, Loic and Savulescu, Julian (2025). Heritable polygenic editing: the next frontier in genomic medicine?. Nature, 637 (8046) 86, 637-645. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08300-4

Heritable polygenic editing: the next frontier in genomic medicine?

2024

Conference Publication

Distinct genetic profiles influence body mass index between infancy and adolescence

Wang, Geng, McEwan, Samuel, Zeng, Jian, Haile-Mariam, Mekonnen, Yengo, Loic, Goddard, Michael, Kemper, Kathryn and Warrington, Nicole (2024). Distinct genetic profiles influence body mass index between infancy and adolescence. LONDON: SPRINGERNATURE.

Distinct genetic profiles influence body mass index between infancy and adolescence

2024

Journal Article

Distinct genetic liability profiles define clinically relevant patient strata across common diseases

Trastulla, Lucia, Dolgalev, Georgii, Moser, Sylvain, Jiménez-Barrón, Laura T., Andlauer, Till F. M., von Scheidt, Moritz, Ruderfer, Douglas M., Ripke, Stephan, McQuillin, Andrew, Stahl, Eli A., Domenici, Enrico, Adolfsson, Rolf, Agartz, Ingrid, Agerbo, Esben, Albus, Margot, Alexander, Madeline, Amin, Farooq, Bacanu, Silviu A., Begemann, Martin, Belliveau, Richard A., Bene, Judit, Bergen, Sarah E., Bevilacqua, Elizabeth, Bigdeli, Tim B., Black, Donald W., Blackwood, Douglas H. R., Borglum, Anders D., Bramon, Elvira, Bruggeman, Richard ... Ziller, Michael J. (2024). Distinct genetic liability profiles define clinically relevant patient strata across common diseases. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 5534, 1-28. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-49338-2

Distinct genetic liability profiles define clinically relevant patient strata across common diseases

2024

Journal Article

Development and external validation of multivariable risk models to predict incident and resolved neuropathic pain: a DOLORisk Dundee study (vol 270, pg 1076, 2022)

Hebert, Harry L., Veluchamy, Abirami, Baskozos, Georgios, Fardo, Francesca, Van Ryckeghem, Dimitri, Pearson, Ewan R., Colvin, Lesley A., Crombez, Geert, Bennett, David L. H., Meng, Weihua, Palmer, Colin N. A. and Smith, Blair H. (2024). Development and external validation of multivariable risk models to predict incident and resolved neuropathic pain: a DOLORisk Dundee study (vol 270, pg 1076, 2022). Journal of Neurology, 271 (12), 7652-7653. doi: 10.1007/s00415-024-12721-6

Development and external validation of multivariable risk models to predict incident and resolved neuropathic pain: a DOLORisk Dundee study (vol 270, pg 1076, 2022)

2024

Conference Publication

Using Polygenic Risk Scores to Characterise Antidepressant Treatment Response in the Australian Genetics of Depression Study

Mitchell, Brittany L., Martin, Nicholas G., Medland, Sarah E. and Wray, Naomi R. (2024). Using Polygenic Risk Scores to Characterise Antidepressant Treatment Response in the Australian Genetics of Depression Study. 54th Annual Meeting of the Behavior-Genetics-Association (BGA), London England, Jun 26-29, 2024. NEW YORK: SPRINGER.

Using Polygenic Risk Scores to Characterise Antidepressant Treatment Response in the Australian Genetics of Depression Study

2024

Journal Article

The importance of family-based sampling for biobanks

Davies, Neil M., Hemani, Gibran, Neiderhiser, Jenae M., Martin, Hilary C., Mills, Melinda C., Visscher, Peter M., Yengo, Loïc, Young, Alexander Strudwick and Keller, Matthew C. (2024). The importance of family-based sampling for biobanks. Nature, 634 (8035), 795-803. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07721-5

The importance of family-based sampling for biobanks

2024

Journal Article

Genetic architecture reconciles linkage and association studies of complex traits

Sidorenko, Julia, Couvy-Duchesne, Baptiste, Kemper, Kathryn E., Moen, Gunn-Helen, Bhatta, Laxmi, Åsvold, Bjørn Olav, Mägi, Reedik, Estonian Biobank Research Team, Ani, Alireza, Wang, Rujia, Nolte, Ilja M., Lifelines Cohort Study, Nolte, Ilja M., Gordon, Scott, Hayward, Caroline, Campbell, Archie, Benjamin, Daniel J., Cesarini, David, Evans, David M., Goddard, Michael E., Haley, Chris S., Porteous, David, Medland, Sarah E., Martin, Nicholas G., Snieder, Harold, Metspalu, Andres, Hveem, Kristian, Brumpton, Ben, Visscher, Peter M. and Yengo, Loic (2024). Genetic architecture reconciles linkage and association studies of complex traits. Nature Genetics, 56 (11), 2352-2360. doi: 10.1038/s41588-024-01940-2

Genetic architecture reconciles linkage and association studies of complex traits

2024

Conference Publication

Genome-wide Fine-mapping Improves Identification Of Causal Variants

Zeng, Jian, Wu, Yang, Zheng, Zhili, Thibaut, Loic, Goddard, Michael, Wray, Naomi and Visscher, Peter (2024). Genome-wide Fine-mapping Improves Identification Of Causal Variants. World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics WCPG 2024, Singapore, 15-19 October 2024. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.037

Genome-wide Fine-mapping Improves Identification Of Causal Variants

2024

Journal Article

Carbonate mud production in lakes is driven by degradation of microbial substances

Boussagol, P., Vennin, E., Monna, F., Millet, L., Bonnotte, A., Motreuil, S., Bundeleva, I., Rius, D. and Visscher, P. T. (2024). Carbonate mud production in lakes is driven by degradation of microbial substances. Communications Earth & Environment, 5 (1) 533. doi: 10.1038/s43247-024-01709-9

Carbonate mud production in lakes is driven by degradation of microbial substances

2024

Journal Article

The eukaryome of modern microbialites reveals distinct colonization across aquatic ecosystems

Bonacolta, Anthony M., Visscher, Pieter T., del Campo, Javier and White III, Richard Allen (2024). The eukaryome of modern microbialites reveals distinct colonization across aquatic ecosystems. Npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 10 (1) 78. doi: 10.1038/s41522-024-00547-z

The eukaryome of modern microbialites reveals distinct colonization across aquatic ecosystems

2024

Journal Article

Pyritic stromatolites from the Paleoarchean Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton: Resolving biogenicity and hydrothermally influenced ecosystem dynamics

Baumgartner, Raphael J., Van Kranendonk, Martin J., Caruso, Stefano, Campbell, Kathleen A., Dobson, Michaela J., Teece, Bronwyn L., Verrall, Michael, Homann, Martin, Lalonde, Stefan and Visscher, Pieter T. (2024). Pyritic stromatolites from the Paleoarchean Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton: Resolving biogenicity and hydrothermally influenced ecosystem dynamics. Geobiology, 22 (4) e12610. doi: 10.1111/gbi.12610

Pyritic stromatolites from the Paleoarchean Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton: Resolving biogenicity and hydrothermally influenced ecosystem dynamics

2024

Journal Article

Genetic influence on within-person longitudinal change in anthropometric traits in the UK Biobank

Kemper, Kathryn E., Sidorenko, Julia, Wang, Huanwei, Hayes, Ben J., Wray, Naomi R., Yengo, Loic, Keller, Matthew C., Goddard, Michael and Visscher, Peter M. (2024). Genetic influence on within-person longitudinal change in anthropometric traits in the UK Biobank. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 3776, 3776. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47802-7

Genetic influence on within-person longitudinal change in anthropometric traits in the UK Biobank

2024

Journal Article

Genome-wide analysis in over 1 million individuals of European ancestry yields improved polygenic risk scores for blood pressure traits

Keaton, Jacob M., Kamali, Zoha, Xie, Tian, Vaez, Ahmad, Williams, Ariel, Goleva, Slavina B., Ani, Alireza, Evangelou, Evangelos, Hellwege, Jacklyn N., Yengo, Loic, Young, William J., Traylor, Matthew, Giri, Ayush, Zheng, Zhili, Zeng, Jian, Chasman, Daniel I., Morris, Andrew P., Caulfield, Mark J., Hwang, Shih-Jen, Kooner, Jaspal S., Conen, David, Attia, John R., Morrison, Alanna C., Loos, Ruth J. F., Kristiansson, Kati, Schmidt, Reinhold, Hicks, Andrew A., Pramstaller, Peter P., Nelson, Christopher P. ... ICBP Consortium (2024). Genome-wide analysis in over 1 million individuals of European ancestry yields improved polygenic risk scores for blood pressure traits. Nature Genetics, 56 (5), 1-14. doi: 10.1038/s41588-024-01714-w

Genome-wide analysis in over 1 million individuals of European ancestry yields improved polygenic risk scores for blood pressure traits

2024

Journal Article

Leveraging functional genomic annotations and genome coverage to improve polygenic prediction of complex traits within and between ancestries

Zheng, Zhili, Liu, Shouye, Sidorenko, Julia, Wang, Ying, Lin, Tian, Yengo, Loic, Turley, Patrick, Ani, Alireza, Wang, Rujia, Nolte, Ilja M., Snieder, Harold, Aguirre-Gamboa, Raul, Deelen, Patrick, Franke, Lude, Kuivenhoven, Jan A., Lopera Maya, Esteban A., Sanna, Serena, Swertz, Morris A., Vonk, Judith M., Wijmenga, Cisca, Yang, Jian, Wray, Naomi R., Goddard, Michael E., Visscher, Peter M., Zeng, Jian and LifeLines Cohort Study (2024). Leveraging functional genomic annotations and genome coverage to improve polygenic prediction of complex traits within and between ancestries. Nature Genetics, 56 (5), 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41588-024-01704-y

Leveraging functional genomic annotations and genome coverage to improve polygenic prediction of complex traits within and between ancestries

2024

Journal Article

Genome-wide studies reveal genetic risk factors for hepatic fat content

Li, Yanni, Van Den Berg, Eline H., Kurilshikov, Alexander, Zhernakova, Dasha V., Lifelines Cohort Study, Gacesa, Ranko, Hu, Shixian, Lopera-Maya, Esteban A., Zhernakova, Alexandra, Aguirre-Gamboa, Raul, Deelen, Patrick, Franke, Lude, Kuivenhoven, Jan A., Lopera-Maya, Esteban A., Nolte, Ilja M., Sanna, Serena, Snieder, Harold, Swertz, Morris A., Visscher, Peter M. (Lifelines Cohort Study group member), Vonk, Judith M., Wijmenga, Cisca, De Meijer, Vincent E., Sanna, Serena, Dullaart, Robin P. F., Blokzijl, Hans, Festen, Eleonora A. M., Fu, Jingyuan and Weersma, Rinse K. (2024). Genome-wide studies reveal genetic risk factors for hepatic fat content. Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics, 22 (2) qzae031, 1-12. doi: 10.1093/gpbjnl/qzae031

Genome-wide studies reveal genetic risk factors for hepatic fat content

2024

Journal Article

Genetic control of DNA methylation is largely shared across European and East Asian populations

Hatton, Alesha A., Cheng, Fei-Fei, Lin, Tian, Shen, Ren-Juan, Chen, Jie, Zheng, Zhili, Qu, Jia, Lyu, Fan, Harris, Sarah E., Cox, Simon R., Jin, Zi-Bing, Martin, Nicholas G., Fan, Dongsheng, Montgomery, Grant W., Yang, Jian, Wray, Naomi R., Marioni, Riccardo E., Visscher, Peter M. and McRae, Allan F. (2024). Genetic control of DNA methylation is largely shared across European and East Asian populations. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 2713, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47005-0

Genetic control of DNA methylation is largely shared across European and East Asian populations

2024

Journal Article

Unravelling the complex causal effects of substance use behaviours on common diseases

Xue, Angli, Zhu, Zhihong, Wang, Huanwei, Jiang, Longda, Visscher, Peter M., Zeng, Jian and Yang, Jian (2024). Unravelling the complex causal effects of substance use behaviours on common diseases. Communications Medicine, 4 (1) 43, 1-13. doi: 10.1038/s43856-024-00473-3

Unravelling the complex causal effects of substance use behaviours on common diseases

Funding

Current funding

  • 2019 - 2025
    Causes and consequence of human trait variation
    ARC Australian Laureate Fellowships
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2025
    Genetic architecture and evolution of complex traits across populations
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2024
    Estimating the genetic and environmental architecture of psychiatric disorders (NIH Grant administered by the University of Colorado)
    University of Colorado
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2023
    Complex trait genomics
    NHMRC Program Grant
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Genetic analysis of the relationship between parental age and risk of psychiatric disorders
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Phenotypic profiling from DNA using genetic and epigenetic information
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    The genetics of ageing in human populations
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2019
    Sporadic ALS Australian Systems Genomics Consortium (SALSA-SGC)
    Motor Neurone Disease Research Institute of Australia Inc
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2020
    Analysis of Genome-Wide Data in the Health and Retirement Study (NIH grant administered by the University of Southern California)
    University of Southern California
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2019
    1/2 A Large-Scale Schizophrenia Association Study in Sweden (NIH grant administered by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
    University of North Carolina
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2017
    Increasing the power of GxE detection by using multi-locus genome-wide predictors (NIH grant administered by Harvard Medical School)
    Harvard Medical School
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2019
    NHMRC Research Fellowship: Neurogenetics and Statistical Genomics
    NHMRC Research Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2014
    Deciphering the genetic code of diseases
    National Computational Merit Allocation Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2014
    Trans-ethnic and trans-omic statistical analyses to identify new ALS risk variants
    Motor Neurone Disease Research Institute of Australia Inc
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2018
    Estimating the Frequencies and Population Specificities of Risk Alleles (NIH grant administered by the University of Colorado)
    University of Colorado
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    CAGE: Consortium for the Architecture of Gene Expression
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2015
    Estimation and partitioning of the still-missing heritability for complex disease
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    Estimation of non-additive genetic variance for complex traits using genome-wide SNP and sequence data
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    Exploiting SNP data in epidemiology and genetics through multivariate analysis of complex traits
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2015
    The genetic architecture and evolution of quantitative traits (ARC Discovery Project administered by the University of Melbourne)
    University of Melbourne
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2018
    Statistical and Quantitative Genetics (NIH Grant administered by the University of Washington)
    University of Washington (Seattle)
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2017
    Statistical genetic analyses of social and economic outcomes
    Stockholm School of Economics
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2017
    Belgian Medical Genomics Initiative (BeMGI)
    University of Liege
    Open grant
  • 2012
    Explaining the Dark Matter of Genome-wide Association Studies for Complex Disease
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    Better Methods for Individual Risk Prediction of Complex Traits in Human Populations
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    NHMRC Research Fellowship (SPRF)
    NHMRC Research Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2017
    Theoretical Population Genetics (NIH Subcontract administered by the University of Washington)
    University of Washington (Seattle)
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2013
    Identifying eQTLs and endophenotyping known CNVs in a large Australian schizophrenia sample
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2012
    Why is most of the genetic variance for complex traits undetected by large powerful screens of common variants? (ARC Discovery Project administered by The University of Melbourne)
    University of Melbourne
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2009
    Maximising knowledge from dense SNP data using multi-locus analysis
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Professor Peter Visscher is:
Not available for supervision

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Statistical methods and application to analyses genome and trait data from large biobanks

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Kathryn Kemper, Professor Loic Yengo

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Genetic architecture and evolution of complex traits across populations in humans

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Naomi Wray, Dr Fleur Garton, Dr Jian Zeng

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Integrating GWAS and molecular QTL data to dissect genetic architecture and improve polygenic prediction

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jian Zeng

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

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