Overview
Background
I am a genetic epidemiologist specialising in the genetics of neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, and other age-related conditions. I lead a dynamic team of scientists dedicated to understanding how genetic and environmental factors influence neurodegeneration, brain health, and related health outcomes. My research is interdisciplinary, integrating advanced statistical genetics, bioinformatics, and data science to unravel disease mechanisms, improve patient stratification, and identify potential therapeutic targets.
In 2020, I founded the Australian Parkinson’s Genetics Study (APGS), now the largest Parkinson’s cohort in Australia with over 10,000 participants. This landmark study has positioned Australia as a key contributor to global Parkinson’s genetics research. I am also actively involved in the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2), where I contribute to large-scale data analysis and work within the underrepresented populations working group to enhance diversity in genetic research worldwide.
Committed to training the next generation of researchers, I have supervised over 16 students, including several PhD candidates who have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry. Two of my recent PhD graduates received the Outstanding Thesis Award, and another received the AIPS Florey Next Generation Award.
I have published consistently in prominent journals, including Nature, Nature Genetics, Nature Communications, BRAIN, Biological Psychiatry, and SLEEP. To date, I have authored over 100 academic articles, which have been widely cited, and I have secured competitive funding from NHMRC, MRFF, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Shake It Up Australia Foundation, the US National Institutes of Health, and the Alzheimer’s Association. My work has been recognised with several prestigious awards, including the 2023 Al & Val Rosenstrauss Fellowship from the Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation, the 2021 Enrico Greppi International Migraine Research Award, and the 2024 Adele Green Emerging Leader Award from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. I am also a Global Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health, a program by the University of California San Francisco and Trinity College Dublin, which supports my commitment to promoting brain health equity worldwide.
Availability
- Hon Assoc Professor Miguel Rentería is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Genomics, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
- Doctor of Philosophy of Genetics, The University of Queensland
- Masters (Coursework) of Public Policy, University of Oxford
Works
Search Professor Miguel Rentería’s works on UQ eSpace
2026
Journal Article
Author Correction: TMEM175, SCARB2 and CTSB associations with Parkinson’s disease risk across populations (npj Parkinson's Disease, (2025), 11, 1, (348), 10.1038/s41531-025-01180-z)
Sun, Wenhua, Schulte, Claudia, Gasser, Thomas, Tan, Manuela, Atadzhanov, Masharip, Nguyen, Toan, Nguyen, Duan, Foroud, Tatiana, Xie, Tao, Walker, Ruth, Alcalay, Roy, Albin, Roger, Shulman, Lisa, Dean, Marissa, Ruffrage, Lauren, Chahine, Lana M., Marek, Kenneth, Markopoulou, Katerina, Kieburtz, Karl, Nuytemans, Karen, Shulman, Joshua, Inca-Martinez, Miguel, Jankovic, Joseph, Lubbe, Steven, Mencacci, Niccolò E., Sarmiento, Ignacio Juan Keller, Chen, Honglei, Beach, Thomas, Serrano, Geidy E. ... Pihlstrøm, Lasse (2026). Author Correction: TMEM175, SCARB2 and CTSB associations with Parkinson’s disease risk across populations (npj Parkinson's Disease, (2025), 11, 1, (348), 10.1038/s41531-025-01180-z). npj Parkinson's Disease, 12 (1) 93. doi: 10.1038/s41531-026-01351-6
2026
Journal Article
Cumulative traumatic brain injury as a predictor of Parkinson's disease with sex-related differences
Lázaro-Figueroa, Alejandra, Garza-Flores, Stephanie, Reyes-Pérez, Paula, Morales De Arcia, Andrés, Esquivias, Juan, Caballero-Sánchez, Ulises, Guerra-Galicia, Carlos M., Estrada-Bellmann, Ingrid, Oropeza, Dante, Matuk-Pérez, Yamil, Morelos-Figaredo, Eugenia, Gandarilla-Martínez, Nadia A., Portillo-Sánchez, Antinea, Salinas-Barboza, Karla, López-Pintor, Araliz, Angulo-Arrieta, Ana, Nolasco-López, Miriam, Zayas-Del Moral, Alejandra, Rentería, Miguel E., Alcauter, Sarael, Hernandez-Ponce, Fatima, González-González, Mirna, Luna-Rangel, Francisco A., Medina-Rivera, Alejandra, Martinez-Ramirez, Daniel and Ruiz-Contreras, Alejandra E. (2026). Cumulative traumatic brain injury as a predictor of Parkinson's disease with sex-related differences. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, 148 108334, 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2026.108334
2026
Journal Article
Proteomic and genetic insights into ancestry‐specific associations in Parkinson's disease
Lim, Amanda Wei‐Yin, Foo, Jia‐Nee, Chew, Elaine Guo‐Yan, Lim, Shen‐Yang, Tan, Ai Huey, Hwang, Liang‐Dar, MacGregor, Stuart, Rentería, Miguel E. and Ong, Jue‐Sheng (2026). Proteomic and genetic insights into ancestry‐specific associations in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders, 41 (4) mds.70169, 981-991. doi: 10.1002/mds.70169
2026
Journal Article
Relationship between neurologic symptoms and signs and FMR1 genotype in premutation carriers
Tassone, Flora, Chafota, Freddy, Renteria, Miguel E., Hagerman, Randi J., Santos, Ellery, Atkinson, Anna, Martin, Nicholas G., Storey, Elsdon and Loesch, Danuta Z. (2026). Relationship between neurologic symptoms and signs and FMR1 genotype in premutation carriers. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology acn3.70375. doi: 10.1002/acn3.70375
2026
Journal Article
CD8+ T cells sustain vaccination-induced immunity against dissemination of contained tuberculosis in immunosuppressed hosts
Miranda-Hernandez, Socorro, Kumar, Manoharan, Henderson, Alec, Graham, Erin, Tan, Xiao, Taylor, Jim, Meehan, Michael T., Ceja, Zuriel, del Pozo-Ramos, Lidia, Pan, Yi, Tsui, Ellen, Donovan, Meg L., Rentería, Miguel E., Flores-Valdez, Mario Alberto, Blumenthal, Antje, Nguyen, Quan, Subbian, Selvakumar, Field, Matt A. and Kupz, Andreas (2026). CD8+ T cells sustain vaccination-induced immunity against dissemination of contained tuberculosis in immunosuppressed hosts. Nature Communications, 17 (1) 4476, 1-17. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-70911-4
2026
Journal Article
Unique and shared internalizing and externalizing genetic factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors: Findings from the adolescent brain cognitive development study
Thomas, Nathaniel S., Hung, I-Tzu, Ceja, Zuriel, García-Marín, Luis M., Stephenson, Mallory, Castro-de-Araujo, Luis Silva, Lannoy, Séverine, Thorp, Jackson, Rentería, Miguel E., Edwards, Alexis C. and Rabinowitz, Jill A. (2026). Unique and shared internalizing and externalizing genetic factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors: Findings from the adolescent brain cognitive development study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 397 120931, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120931
2026
Journal Article
Genome-wide assessment reveals ancestral differences in homozygosity patterns potentially linked to Parkinson's Disease etiology
Step, Kathryn, Hernández, Carlos F., Khani, Marzieh, Eltaraifee, Esraa, Hernández-Medrano, Ana Jimena, Kung, Pin-Jui, Ostrožovičová, Miriam, Zirra, Alexandra, Pérez-Palma, Eduardo, Mencacci, Niccolò E., Keller Sarmiento, Ignacio J., Morris, Huw R., Mata, Ignacio F., Acosta-Uribe, Juliana, Fang, Zih-Hua, Bandres-Ciga, Sara, Mecheri, Yasser, Sofiane, Bouchetara Mohamed, Traki, Benhassine, Gatto, Emilia Mabel, Kauffman, Marcelo, Capparelli, Federico, Muller, Maria Valentina, Tela, Marcela Susana, Adamec, Dario Sergio, Avila, Cesar, Khachatryan, Samson, Tavadyan, Zaruhi, Isayan, Mariam ... Atadzhanov, Masharip (2026). Genome-wide assessment reveals ancestral differences in homozygosity patterns potentially linked to Parkinson's Disease etiology. Movement Disorders, 41 (5), 1128-1140. doi: 10.1002/mds.70182
2026
Journal Article
Insights from a cross-sectional population-based study of 10,929 Australians living with Parkinson's disease: risk factors, comorbidities, and sex differences
Cao, Fangyuan, McAloney, Kerrie, Ogonowski, Natalia S., García-Marín, Luis M., Díaz-Torres, Santiago, Flores-Ocampo, Victor, Ceja, Zuriel, Chafota, Freddy, Parker, Richard, Ferguson, Mary, Cicero, Rebekah A., List-Armitage, Susan E., Miller, Vicki, Campbell, Clyde, Sue, Carolyn M., Kumar, Kishore R., Mellick, George D., Martin, Nicholas G. and Rentería, Miguel E. (2026). Insights from a cross-sectional population-based study of 10,929 Australians living with Parkinson's disease: risk factors, comorbidities, and sex differences. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, 68 101816, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2026.101816
2026
Journal Article
CRISPR screens identify PRMT7 as a therapeutic target to enhance T cell-mediated killing in breast cancer
Shi, Wei, Luo, Yi, Wang, Yizhuo, Burrows, Jacqueline M., Black, Debra, Civitarese, Andrew, Perlaza-Jimenez, Laura, Zhang, Ping, Manning, Murray, Tuano, Natasha, Rentería, Miguel E., Xiao, Christos, Tey, Siok-Keen, Rosenbluh, Joseph, Smith, Corey, Chenevix-Trench, Georgia and Beesley, Jonathan (2026). CRISPR screens identify PRMT7 as a therapeutic target to enhance T cell-mediated killing in breast cancer. npj Breast Cancer, 12 (1) 24. doi: 10.1038/s41523-025-00888-8
2026
Journal Article
Genetic exploration of the relationship between liability to psychiatric disorders and acne vulgaris
Mitchell, Brittany L., Lupton, Michelle K., Rentería, Miguel E., Simpson, Michael A. and Reay, William R. (2026). Genetic exploration of the relationship between liability to psychiatric disorders and acne vulgaris. European Journal of Human Genetics, 34 (4) PMID 9302235, 565-573. doi: 10.1038/s41431-026-02028-7
2026
Journal Article
Association of LRRK2 p.A419V with Parkinson’s Disease in East Asians and analysis of age at onset
Lim, Kai Shi, Periñan, Maria Teresa, Chew, Elaine Guo Yan, Lee, Paul Suhwan, Akçimen, Fulya, Lim, Jia Lun, Koretsky, Mathew J., Funayama, Manabu, Yoshino, Hiroyo, Hattori, Nobutaka, Kaiyrzhanov, Rauan, Houlden, Henry, Isayan, Mariam, Tay, Yi Wen, Toh, Tzi Shin, Lit, Lei-Cheng, Khairul Anuar, Anis Nadhirah, Ding, Hans Xing, Screven, Laurel, Ibrahim, Norlinah Mohamed, Lin, Chin-Hsien, Kim, Han-Joon, Lee, Jee-Young, Chung, Sun Ju, Foo, Jia Nee, Tan, Eng-King, Lim, Shen-Yang, Tan, Ai Huey, Bandres-Ciga, Sara ... Yan Chew, Elaine Guo (2026). Association of LRRK2 p.A419V with Parkinson’s Disease in East Asians and analysis of age at onset. npj Parkinson's Disease, 12 (1) 51. doi: 10.1038/s41531-026-01265-3
2026
Conference Publication
TRANSDIAGNOSTIC COMPARISON OF SLEEP MEASURES ACROSS CHRONIC PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS USING FITBIT DATA IN THE ALL OF US DATASET
Huang, X., Hsieh, C., Nguyen, Q., Renteria, M. E. and Gharahkhani, P. (2026). TRANSDIAGNOSTIC COMPARISON OF SLEEP MEASURES ACROSS CHRONIC PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS USING FITBIT DATA IN THE ALL OF US DATASET. AMSTERDAM: ELSEVIER.
2026
Journal Article
Transdiagnostic comparison of sleep measures across chronic physical and mental health disorders using FitBit data in the All of Us dataset
Huang, X., Hsieh, C., Nguyen, Q., Rentería, M.E. and Gharahkhani, P. (2026). Transdiagnostic comparison of sleep measures across chronic physical and mental health disorders using FitBit data in the All of Us dataset. Sleep Medicine, 138 108633, 108633. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2025.108633
2026
Journal Article
Genetic analysis of APOE reveals distinct origins and distribution of ancestry-enrichment haplotypes in the Mexican Biobank
Barberena-Jonas, Carmina, Flores-Ocampo, Victor, Ogonowski, Natalia S., Piña-Escudero, Stefanie Danielle, Mata, Ignacio F., Yokoyama, Jennifer S., García-García, Lourdes, Aguilar Salinas, Carlos Alberto, Tusié-Luna, María Teresa, Moreno-Estrada, Andrés and Rentería, Miguel E. (2026). Genetic analysis of APOE reveals distinct origins and distribution of ancestry-enrichment haplotypes in the Mexican Biobank. Genes and Diseases, 13 (1) 101542, 1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.gendis.2025.101542
2026
Journal Article
Decoding chronic pain: integrating genetics, neuroimaging, and AI for precision management
Uckac, Bade, Ogonowski, Natalia S., García-Marín, Luis M., Diaz-Torres, Santiago, Farrell, Scott F., Nyholt, Dale R. and Rentería, Miguel E. (2026). Decoding chronic pain: integrating genetics, neuroimaging, and AI for precision management. Frontiers in Pain Research, 7 1747942, 7. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2026.1747942
2026
Journal Article
Genome-wide meta-analyses of non-response to antidepressants provide insights into underlying molecular genetics and suggest potential pharmacotherapies
Koch, Elise, Puusepp, Tuuli, Einarsson, Guðmundur, Mitchell, Brittany L., Harder, Arvid, Lin, Yuhao, García-Marín, Luis M., Krebs, Kristi, Shadrin, Alexey A., Xiong, Ying, Estonian Biobank Research Team, Metspalu, Andres, Esko, Tõnu, Mägi, Reedik, Nelis, Mari, Hudjashov, Georgi, Frei, Oleksandr, Lu, Yi, Hägg, Sara, Rentería, Miguel E., Medland, Sarah E., Wray, Naomi R., Martin, Nicholas G., Hübel, Christopher, Breen, Gerome, Thorgeirsson, Thorgeir, Stefánsson, Hreinn, Stefánsson, Kári, Lehto, Kelli ... O’Connell, Kevin S. (2026). Genome-wide meta-analyses of non-response to antidepressants provide insights into underlying molecular genetics and suggest potential pharmacotherapies. Molecular Psychiatry, 31 (4), 2005-2013. doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03357-7
2025
Journal Article
TMEM175, SCARB2 and CTSB associations with Parkinson’s disease risk across populations
Sun, Wenhua, Schulte, Claudia, Gasser, Thomas, Tan, Manuela, Atadzhanov, Masharip, Nguyen, Toan, Nguyen, Duan, Foroud, Tatiana, Xie, Tao, Walker, Ruth, Alcalay, Roy, Albin, Roger, Shulman, Lisa, Dean, Marissa, Ruffrage, Lauren, Chahine, Lana M., Marek, Kenneth, Markopoulou, Katerina, Kieburtz, Karl, Nuytemans, Karen, Shulman, Joshua, Inca-Martinez, Miguel, Jankovic, Joseph, Lubbe, Steven, Mencacci, Niccolò E., Sarmiento, Ignacio Juan Keller, Chen, Honglei, Beach, Thomas, Serrano, Geidy E. ... Pihlstrøm, Lasse (2025). TMEM175, SCARB2 and CTSB associations with Parkinson’s disease risk across populations. npj Parkinson's Disease, 11 (1) 348. doi: 10.1038/s41531-025-01180-z
2025
Journal Article
The LRRK2 p.L1795F variant causes Parkinson’s disease in the European population
Lange, Lara M., Levine, Kristin, Fox, Susan H., Marras, Connie, Ahmed, Nazish, Kuznetsov, Nicole, Vitale, Dan, Iwaki, Hirotaka, Lohmann, Katja, Marsili, Luca, Espay, Alberto J., Bauer, Peter, Beetz, Christian, Martin, Jessica, Factor, Stewart A., Higginbotham, Lenora A., Chen, Honglei, Leonard, Hampton, Nalls, Mike A., Mencacci, Niccolo E., Morris, Huw R., Singleton, Andrew B., Klein, Christine, Blauwendraat, Cornelis, Fang, Zih-Hua, Atadzhanov, Masharip, Nguyen, Toan, Nguyen, Duan, Koretsky, Mathew ... Gatto, Emilia M. (2025). The LRRK2 p.L1795F variant causes Parkinson’s disease in the European population. npj Parkinson's Disease, 11 (1) 58. doi: 10.1038/s41531-025-00896-2
2025
Journal Article
Unravelling the causal link between gut microbiota and acne risk using a genetic approach
Cao, Fangyuan, Ogonowski, Natalia S., Díaz-Torres, Santiago, Mitchell, Brittany L., Gharhakhani, Puya, Martin, Nicholas G., Simpson, Michael A., Ong, Jue-Sheng and Rentería, Miguel E. (2025). Unravelling the causal link between gut microbiota and acne risk using a genetic approach. Skin Health and Disease, 5 (6), 448-459. doi: 10.1093/skinhd/vzaf077
2025
Journal Article
Transdiagnostic alterations in white matter microstructure associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours in the ENIGMA Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours consortium
van Velzen, Laura S., Colic, Lejla, Ceja, Zuriel, Dauvermann, Maria R., Villa, Luca M., Savage, Hannah S., Toenders, Yara J., Dehestani, Niousha, Zhu, Alyssa H., Campos, Adrian I., Salminen, Lauren E., Alda, Martin, Agartz, Ingrid, Alexander, Nina, Ayesa-Arriola, Rosa, Ballard, Elizabeth D., Banaj, Nerisa, Barkhau, Carlotta, Başgöze, Zeynep, Bauer, Jochen, Benedetti, Francesco, Berger, Klaus, Besteher, Bianca, Brosch, Katharina, Canal-Rivero, Manuel, Cervenka, Simon, Colle, Romain, Connolly, Colm G., Corruble, Emmanuelle ... Schmaal, Lianne (2025). Transdiagnostic alterations in white matter microstructure associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours in the ENIGMA Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours consortium. Translational Psychiatry, 15 (1) 429, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41398-025-03602-1
Supervision
Availability
- Hon Assoc Professor Miguel Rentería is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Monogenic Parkinson's disease among individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in Australia and Mexico
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Genetic Aetiology of Cognitive and Speech-Related Features in Parkinson's Disease
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Genetic architecture of differences in symptomatology and treatment response in major depressive disorder
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Sarah Medland, Honorary Professor Nick Martin
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Doctor Philosophy
Bridging gaps on the genetics of age-related disorder among under-represented populations
Associate Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Application of machine learning techniques on longitudinal fitness tracker data to augment disease risk prediction
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Quan Nguyen
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the genetic aetiology of age-related diseases in diverse populations
Associate Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
From Genes to Brain Networks: AI Approaches to Understanding the Genetic Foundations of Brain Functionality in Health and Disease
Associate Advisor
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Elucidating the genetic architecture of neuropsychiatric phenotypes and other complex human traits
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Nick Martin
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding psychiatric disease: From aetiology to outcomes and treatment response
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Nick Martin
Media
Enquiries
Contact Hon Assoc Professor Miguel Rentería directly for media enquiries about:
- Human genetics
- Parkinson's disease
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