Overview
Background
Dr Nicole Warrington is a NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience. She has a strong background in statistical genetics and has been actively working towards understanding the genetic determinants of early life growth. Dr Warrington studied a Bachelor of Science at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, majoring in Mathematical Statistics and Psychology. She then completed an honours degree at The University of Western Australia, where she developed a keen interest for genetics, and was subsequently awarded an Australian Postgraduate Award to complete her PhD in statistical genetics and life-course epidemiology. During her PhD she spent time at the University of Toronto to gain experience in statistical modelling methods for longitudinal growth trajectories and conducted the first genome-wide association study of longitudinal growth trajectories over childhood. After completing her PhD, Dr Warrington started at the University of Queensland and focused on using genetics to inform about the relationship between birth weight and cardio-metabolic diseases in later life. She pioneered a new statistical method to partition genetic effects on birth weight into maternal and fetal components, and combined this method with a causal modelling approach, Mendelian randomization. This method was instrumental in demonstrating the relationship between birth weight and adult hypertension is driven by genetic effects, over-turning 30 years of research into the effects of intrauterine programming. More recently, her research focus has broadened to determine whether rapid weight growth across early life, including fetal development, childhood and adolescence, causally increases risk of cardio-metabolic disease and in doing so, hopes to identify optimal times across the life-course where interventions could reduce the incidence of cardio-metabolic diseases.
Availability
- Dr Nicole Warrington is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Western Australia
Research interests
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Developmental origins of health and disease
The development of obesity often occurs in early life and tends to persist into adulthood. Unfavourable growth in early life is also associated with adverse cardio-metabolic outcomes in later life, such as type two diabetes and heart disease. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this relationship is a vital step in combating these lifestyle diseases and evaluating the likely success of early interventions. This research aims to address the following questions: (a) What maternal characteristics modify the early life environment and cause rapid early life weight growth in her offspring? (b) Is there a time period in early life where rapid weight growth causes increased risk of cardio-metabolic disease in later life, independent of adult obesity? Dr Warrington is a leading member of the Early Growth Genetics (EGG) consortium, which brings together studies from around the world with growth related phenotypes and genetic data in order to conduct large-scale genetic research. The EGG consortium have conducted several large genome-wide association studies of growth phenotypes, which are published in high impact journals including Nature and Nature Genetics. The results from these genome-wide association studies are then used to perform causal modelling to help disentangle the relationship between childhood growth and later life cardio-metabolic disease risk.
Works
Search Professor Nicole Warrington’s works on UQ eSpace
2022
Journal Article
Using genomic structural equation modeling to partition the genetic covariance between birthweight and cardiometabolic risk factors into maternal and offspring components in the Norwegian HUNT study
Moen, Gunn-Helen, Nivard, Michel, Bhatta, Laxmi, Warrington, Nicole M., Willer, Cristen, Åsvold, Bjørn Olav, Brumpton, Ben and Evans, David M. (2022). Using genomic structural equation modeling to partition the genetic covariance between birthweight and cardiometabolic risk factors into maternal and offspring components in the Norwegian HUNT study. Behavior Genetics, 53 (1), 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s10519-022-10116-9
2022
Journal Article
Mendelian randomization analysis of factors related to ovulation and reproductive function and endometrial cancer risk
D’Urso, Shannon, Arumugam, Pooja, Weider, Therese, Hwang, Liang-Dar, Bond, Tom A., Kemp, John P., Warrington, Nicole M., Evans, David M., O’Mara, Tracy A. and Moen, Gunn-Helen (2022). Mendelian randomization analysis of factors related to ovulation and reproductive function and endometrial cancer risk. BMC Medicine, 20 (1) 419, 1-17. doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02585-w
2022
Journal Article
Birth weight and cardiometabolic risk factors: a discordant twin study in the UK Biobank
Wang, Geng, Bond, Tom A., Warrington, Nicole M. and Evans, David M. (2022). Birth weight and cardiometabolic risk factors: a discordant twin study in the UK Biobank. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 14 (2) PII S2040174422000538, 1-7. doi: 10.1017/s2040174422000538
2022
Conference Publication
Using structural equation modelling to partition genetic effects on birth weight at human leukocyte antigen loci into maternal and fetal components
Wang, Geng, Warrington, Nicole M. and Evans, David M. (2022). Using structural equation modelling to partition genetic effects on birth weight at human leukocyte antigen loci into maternal and fetal components. International Genetic Epidemiology Society 2022 Annual Meeting, Paris, France, 7 - 9 September 2022. Hoboken, NJ, United States: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/gepi.22503
2022
Conference Publication
Partitioning genetic effects on birth weight into maternal and fetal components at classical HLA loci
Wang, Geng, Warrington, Nicole M. and Evans, David M. (2022). Partitioning genetic effects on birth weight into maternal and fetal components at classical HLA loci. DOHaD World Congress 2022, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 27 - 31 August 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Mendelian randomization study of maternal coffee consumption and its influence on birthweight, stillbirth, miscarriage, gestational age and pre-term birth
Brito Nunes, Caroline, Huang, Peiyuan, Wang, Geng, Lundberg, Mischa, D’Urso, Shannon, Wootton, Robyn E., Borges, Maria Carolina, Lawlor, Deborah A., Warrington, Nicole M., Evans, David M., Hwang, Liang-Dar and Moen, Gunn-Helen (2022). Mendelian randomization study of maternal coffee consumption and its influence on birthweight, stillbirth, miscarriage, gestational age and pre-term birth. International Journal of Epidemiology, 52 (1), 1-13. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyac121
2022
Journal Article
Investigating a potential causal relationship between maternal blood pressure during pregnancy and future offspring cardiometabolic health
Wang, Geng, Bhatta, Laxmi, Moen, Gunn-Helen, Hwang, Liang-Dar, Kemp, John P., Bond, Tom A., Åsvold, Bjørn Olav, Brumpton, Ben, Evans, David M. and Warrington, Nicole M. (2022). Investigating a potential causal relationship between maternal blood pressure during pregnancy and future offspring cardiometabolic health. Hypertension, 79 (1), 170-177. doi: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.121.17701
2022
Book Chapter
Integrating family-based and Mendelian randomization designs
Hwang, Liang-Dar, Davies, Neil M., Warrington, Nicole M. and Evans, David M. (2022). Integrating family-based and Mendelian randomization designs. Combining human genetics and causal inference to understand human disease and development. (pp. 137-150) edited by George Davey Smith, Rebecca Richmond and Jean-Baptiste Pingault. Cold Spring Harbor, NY, United States: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
2021
Journal Article
Fetal alleles predisposing to metabolically favourable adiposity are associated with higher birth weight
Thompson, William D., Beaumont, Robin N., Kuang, Alan, Warrington, Nicole M., Ji, Yingjie, Tyrrell, Jess, Wood, Andrew R., Scholtens, Denise, Knight, Bridget A., Evans, David M., Lowe, Bill L., Santorelli, Gillian, Azad, Raq, Mason, Dan, Hattersley, Andrew T., Frayling, Timothy M., Yaghootkar, Hanieh, Borges, Maria-Carolina, Lawlor, Deborah A. and Freathy, Rachel M. (2021). Fetal alleles predisposing to metabolically favourable adiposity are associated with higher birth weight. Human Molecular Genetics, 31 (11), 1762-1775. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddab356
2021
Conference Publication
Methods for Enabling and Improving the Power of Mendelian Randomization Studies of Parental Environmental Exposures and Offspring Outcomes
Moen, Gunn-Helen, Bhatta, Laxmi, Asvold, Bjorn Olav, Brumpton, Ben, Warrington, Nicole M. and Evans, David M. (2021). Methods for Enabling and Improving the Power of Mendelian Randomization Studies of Parental Environmental Exposures and Offspring Outcomes. NEW YORK: SPRINGER.
2021
Conference Publication
Investigating a potential causal relationship between maternal blood pressure during pregnancy and future offspring cardiometabolic health
Wang, Geng, Bhatta, Laxmi, Moen, Gunn-Helen, Hwang, Liang-Dar, Kemp, John P., Bond, Tom A., Asvold, Bjorn Olav, Brumpton, Ben, Evans, David M. and Warrington, Nicole M. (2021). Investigating a potential causal relationship between maternal blood pressure during pregnancy and future offspring cardiometabolic health. Behavior Genetics Association 51st Annual Meeting, Online (Zoom), 29 June 2021. New York, United States: Springer.
2021
Conference Publication
Investigating a potential causal relationship between maternal blood pressure during pregnancy and future offspring cardiometabolic health
Wang, Geng, Bhatta, Laxmi, Moen, Gunn-Helen, Hwang, Liang-Dar, Kemp, John P., Bond, Tom A., Åsvold, Bjørn Olav, Brumpton, Ben, Evans, David M. and Warrington, Nicole M. (2021). Investigating a potential causal relationship between maternal blood pressure during pregnancy and future offspring cardiometabolic health. American Society of Human Genetics 2021 Annual Meeting, Virtual, 18 - 22 October 2021.
2021
Journal Article
Higher maternal adiposity reduces offspring birthweight if associated with a metabolically favourable profile
Thompson, William D., Beaumont, Robin N., Kuang, Alan, Warrington, Nicole M., Ji, Yingjie, Tyrrell, Jessica, Wood, Andrew R., Scholtens, Denise M., Knight, Bridget A., Evans, David M., Lowe, William L., Santorelli, Gillian, Azad, Rafaq, Mason, Dan, Hattersley, Andrew T., Frayling, Timothy M., Yaghootkar, Hanieh, Borges, Maria Carolina, Lawlor, Deborah A. and Freathy, Rachel M. (2021). Higher maternal adiposity reduces offspring birthweight if associated with a metabolically favourable profile. Diabetologia, 64 (12), 2790-2802. doi: 10.1007/s00125-021-05570-9
2021
Journal Article
Estimating direct and indirect genetic effects on offspring phenotypes using genome-wide summary results data
Warrington, Nicole M., Hwang, Liang-Dar, Nivard, Michel G. and Evans, David M. (2021). Estimating direct and indirect genetic effects on offspring phenotypes using genome-wide summary results data. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 5420, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-25723-z
2020
Journal Article
Investigating the causal effect of maternal vitamin B12 and folate levels on offspring birthweight
Moen, Gunn-Helen, Beaumont, Robin N., Grarup, Niels, Sommer, Christine, Shields, Beverley M., Lawlor, Deborah A., Freathy, Rachel M., Evans, David M. and Warrington, Nicole M. (2020). Investigating the causal effect of maternal vitamin B12 and folate levels on offspring birthweight. International Journal of Epidemiology, 50 (1), 179-189. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyaa256
2020
Journal Article
A cautionary note on using Mendelian randomization to examine the Barker hypothesis and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
D'Urso, Shannon, Wang, Geng, Hwang, Liang-Dar, Moen, Gunn-Helen, Warrington, Nicole M. and Evans, David M. (2020). A cautionary note on using Mendelian randomization to examine the Barker hypothesis and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 12 (5) PII S2040174420001105, 1-6. doi: 10.1017/S2040174420001105
2020
Conference Publication
Do maternal intrauterine environmental influences that lower offspring birthweight causally increase offspring cardiometabolic risk factors in later life? A Mendelian randomization study of 45,849 genotyped parent offspring pairs in the HUNT study using the OpenMx software
Moen, Gunn-Helen, Brumpton, Ben, Willer, Cristen, Asvold, Bjorn Olav, Birkeland, Kare, Neale, Michael C., Freathy, Rachel M., Smith, George Davey, Lawlor, Deborah A., Kirkpatrick, Robert M., Warrington, Nicole M. and Evans, David M. (2020). Do maternal intrauterine environmental influences that lower offspring birthweight causally increase offspring cardiometabolic risk factors in later life? A Mendelian randomization study of 45,849 genotyped parent offspring pairs in the HUNT study using the OpenMx software. 50th Annual Meeting of the Behavior-Genetics-Association (BGA), Electr Network, Jun 26, 2020. NEW YORK: SPRINGER.
2020
Journal Article
Estimating indirect parental genetic effects on offspring phenotypes using virtual parental genotypes derived from sibling and half sibling pairs
Hwang, Liang-Dar, Tubbs, Justin D., Luong, Justin, Lundberg, Mischa, Moen, Gunn-Helen, Wang, Geng, Warrington, Nicole M., Sham, Pak C., Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel and Evans, David M. (2020). Estimating indirect parental genetic effects on offspring phenotypes using virtual parental genotypes derived from sibling and half sibling pairs. PLoS Genetics, 16 (10) e1009154, e1009154. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009154
2020
Journal Article
Mendelian randomization study of maternal influences on birthweight and future cardiometabolic risk in the HUNT cohort
Moen, Gunn-Helen, Brumpton, Ben, Willer, Cristen, Åsvold, Bjørn Olav, Birkeland, Kåre I., Wang, Geng, Neale, Michael C., Freathy, Rachel M., Smith, George Davey, Lawlor, Deborah A., Kirkpatrick, Robert M., Warrington, Nicole M. and Evans, David M. (2020). Mendelian randomization study of maternal influences on birthweight and future cardiometabolic risk in the HUNT cohort. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 5404, 5404. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-19257-z
2020
Journal Article
Genome-wide association study identifies 48 common genetic variants associated with handedness
Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel, Tung, Joyce Y., Eriksson, Nicholas, Albrecht, Eva, Aliev, Fazil, Andreassen, Ole A., Barroso, Inês, Beckmann, Jacques S., Boks, Marco P., Boomsma, Dorret I., Boyd, Heather A., Breteler, Monique M. B., Campbell, Harry, Chasman, Daniel I., Cherkas, Lynn F., Davies, Gail, de Geus, Eco J. C., Deary, Ian J., Deloukas, Panos, Dick, Danielle M., Duffy, David L., Eriksson, Johan G., Esko, Tõnu, Feenstra, Bjarke, Geller, Frank, Gieger, Christian, Giegling, Ina, Gordon, Scott D., Han, Jiali ... Medland, Sarah E. (2020). Genome-wide association study identifies 48 common genetic variants associated with handedness. Nature Human Behaviour, 5 (1), 59-70. doi: 10.1038/s41562-020-00956-y
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Nicole Warrington is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Using multi-omics approaches to characterise determinants of early growth trajectories and their consequences on later life health
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Jake Gratten, Professor David Evans
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Doctor Philosophy
Developing and Applying Statistical Genetics Methods to Elucidate the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Evans
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Doctor Philosophy
Using single cell transcriptomics, gene-mapping, and animal models to accelerate drug discovery for patients with osteoporosis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr John Kemp
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Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the time and tissue dependent genetic architecture of complex traits
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Loic Yengo
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Identifying genetic and cellular determinants of musculoskeletal disorders
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr John Kemp
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Using Genetics to Understand the Relationship Between the Intrauterine Environment and Future Offspring Cardiometabolic Risk
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Evans
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Detecting and Quantifying the Effect of Assortative mating and Maternal Effects on Statistical Genetics Analyses
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Evans
Media
Enquiries
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