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
-
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
2012
Journal Article
Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies three new risk loci for atopic dermatitis
Paternoster, Lavinia, Standl, Marie, Chen, Chi-Mei, Ramasamy, Adaikalavan, Bonnelykke, Klaus, Duijts, Liesbeth, Ferreira, Manuel A., Alves, Alexessander C., Thyssen, Jacob P., Albrecht, Eva, Baurecht, Hansjorg, Feenstra, Bjarke, Sleiman, Patrick M. A., Hysi, Piro, Warrington, Nicole M., Curjuric, Ivan, Myhre, Ronny, Curtin, John A., Groen-Blokhuis, Maria M., Kerkhof, Marjan, Saaf, Annika, Franke, Andre, Ellinghaus, David, Folster-Holst, Regina, Dermitzakis, Emmanouil, Montgomery, Stephen B., Prokisch, Holger, Heim, Katharina, Hartikainen, Anna-Lisa ... EArly Genetics Lifecourse Epidemiology (EAGLE) Consortium (2012). Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies three new risk loci for atopic dermatitis. Nature Genetics, 44 (2), 187-192. doi: 10.1038/ng.1017
2012
Journal Article
The impact of breastfeeding on FTO-related BMI growth trajectories: An application to the Raine pregnancy cohort study
Abarin, Taraneh, wu, Yan Yan, Warrington, Nicole, Lye, Stephen, Pennell, Craig and Briollais, Laurent (2012). The impact of breastfeeding on FTO-related BMI growth trajectories: An application to the Raine pregnancy cohort study. International Journal of Epidemiology, 41 (6) dys171, 1650-1660. doi: 10.1093/ije/dys171
2012
Journal Article
Fat mass and obesity-associated obesity-risk genotype is associated with lower foetal growth: An effect that is reversed in the offspring of smoking mothers
Marsh, J. A., Pennell, C. E., Warrington, N. M., Mook-Kanamori, D., Briollais, L., Lye, S. J., Beilin, L. J., Steegers, E., Hofman, A., Jaddoe, V. W. V., Newnham, J.P. and Palmer, L. J. (2012). Fat mass and obesity-associated obesity-risk genotype is associated with lower foetal growth: An effect that is reversed in the offspring of smoking mothers. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 3 (1), 10-20. doi: 10.1017/S2040174411000638
2012
Journal Article
Loci affecting gamma-glutamyl transferase in adults and adolescents show age x SNP interaction and cardiometabolic disease associations
Middelberg, Rita P., Benyamin, Beben, de Moor, Marleen H. M., Warrington, Nicole M., Gordon, Scott, Henders, Anjali K., Medland, Sarah E., Nyholt, Dale R., de Geus, Eco J. C., Hottenga, Jouke J., Willemsen, Gonneke, Beilin, Lawrence J., Mori, Trevor A., Wright, Margaret J., Heath, Andrew C., Madden, Pamela A. F., Boomsma, Dorret I., Pennell, Craig E., Montgomery, Grant W., Martin, Nicholas G. and Whitfield, John B. (2012). Loci affecting gamma-glutamyl transferase in adults and adolescents show age x SNP interaction and cardiometabolic disease associations. Human Molecular Genetics, 21 (2) ddr478, 446-455. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddr478
2012
Journal Article
Genetic variation in the beta-2 adrenergic receptor is associated with chronic musculoskeletal complaints in adolescents
Skouen, J. S., Smith, A. J., Warrington, N. M., O'Sullivan, P. B., McKenzie, L., Pennell, C. E. and Straker, L. M. (2012). Genetic variation in the beta-2 adrenergic receptor is associated with chronic musculoskeletal complaints in adolescents. European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom), 16 (9), 1232-1242. doi: 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2012.00131.x
2012
Journal Article
Associations between aggressive behaviour scores and cardiovascular risk factors in childhood
Louise, S., Warrington, N. M., McCaskie, P. A., Oddy, W. H., Zubrick, S. R., Hands, B., Mori, T. A., Briollais, L., Silburn, S., Palmer, L. J., Mattes, E. and Beilin, L. J. (2012). Associations between aggressive behaviour scores and cardiovascular risk factors in childhood. Pediatric Obesity, 7 (4), 319-328. doi: 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00047.x
2012
Journal Article
Role of the TCF4 gene intronic variant in normal variation of corneal endothelium
MacKey, David A., Warrington, Nicole M., Hewitt, Alex W., Oates, Sandra K., Yazar, Seyhan, Soloshenko, Alla, Crawford, Geoffrey J., Mountain, Jenny A. and Pennell, Craig E. (2012). Role of the TCF4 gene intronic variant in normal variation of corneal endothelium. Cornea, 31 (2), 162-166. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0b013e318226155f
2011
Journal Article
Hospitalisation with infection, asthma and allergy in kawasaki disease patients and their families: Genealogical analysis using linked population data
Webster,Rebecca J., Carter, Kim W., Warrington, Nicole M., Loh, Angeline M., Zaloumis, Sophie, Kuijpers, Taco W., Palmer, Lyle J. and Burgner, David P. (2011). Hospitalisation with infection, asthma and allergy in kawasaki disease patients and their families: Genealogical analysis using linked population data. PLoS One, 6 (11) e28004, e28004.1-e28004.11. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028004
2011
Journal Article
Genome-wide association and large-scale follow up identifies 16 new loci influencing lung function
Artigas, M.S., Loth, D.W., Wain, L.V., Gharib, S.A., Obeidat, M., Tang, W.B., Zhai, G.J., Zhao, J.H., Smith, A.V., Huffman, J.E., Albrecht, E., Jackson, C.M., Evans, D.M., Cadby, G., Fornage, M., Manichaikul, A., Lopez, L.M., Johnson, T., Aldrich, M.C., Aspelund, T., Barroso, I., Campbell, H., Cassano, P.A., Couper, D.J., Eiriksdottir, G., Franceschini, N., Garcia, M., Gieger, C., Gislason, G.K. ... GIANT Consortium (2011). Genome-wide association and large-scale follow up identifies 16 new loci influencing lung function. Nature Genetics, 43 (11), 1082-1090. doi: 10.1038/ng.941
2011
Journal Article
Obesity-susceptibility loci have a limited influence on birth weight: A meta-analysis of up to 28,219 individuals
Kilpelainen T.O., Den Hoed M., Ong K.K., Grontved A., Brage S., Jameson K., Cooper C., Khaw K.-T., Ekelund U., Wareham N.J., Loos R.J.F., Freathy R.M., Mook-Kanamori D.O., Sovio U., Prokopenko I., Timpson N.J., Berry D.J., Warrington N.M., Widen E., Hottenga J.J., Kaakinen M., Lange L.A., Bradfield J.P., Kerkhof M., Marsh J.A., Magi R., Chen C.-M., Lyon H.N., Kirin M. ... McCarthy M.I. (2011). Obesity-susceptibility loci have a limited influence on birth weight: A meta-analysis of up to 28,219 individuals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 93 (4), 851-860. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.110.000828
2011
Journal Article
Association of genetic loci with glucose levels in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis of over 6,000 children
Barker, Adam, Sharp, Stephen J., Timpson, Nicholas J., Bouatia-Naji, Nabila, Warrington, Nicole M., Kanoni, Stavroula, Beilin, Lawrence J., Brage, Soren, Deloukas, Panos, Evans, David M., Grontved, Anders, Hassanali, Neelam, Lawlor, Deborah A., Lecoeur, Cecile, Loos, Ruth J.F., Lye, Stephen J., McCarthy, Mark I., Mori, Trevor A., Ndiaye, Ndeye Coumba, Newnham, John P., Ntalla, Ioanna, Pennell, Craig E., St Pourcain, Beate, Prokopenko, Inga, Ring, Susan M., Sattar, Naveed, Visvikis-Siest, Sophie, Dedoussis, George V., Palmer, Lyle J. ... Langenberg, Claudia (2011). Association of genetic loci with glucose levels in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis of over 6,000 children. Diabetes, 60 (6), 1805-1812. doi: 10.2337/db10-1575
2011
Journal Article
Association between C reactive protein and coronary heart disease: mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data
C Reactive Protein Coronary Heart Disease Genetics Collaboration (CCGC) and Warrington, N. (2011). Association between C reactive protein and coronary heart disease: mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data. BMJ, 342 (7794) d548, d548.1-d548.8. doi: 10.1136/bmj.d548
2011
Journal Article
A population-based study of polymorphisms in genes related to sex hormones and abdominal aortic aneurysm
Golledge, Jonathan, Biros,Erik, Warrington, Nicole, Jones, Gregory T., Cooper, Matthew, Van Rij, Andre M., Palmer, Lyle J. and Norman, Paul E. (2011). A population-based study of polymorphisms in genes related to sex hormones and abdominal aortic aneurysm. European Journal of Human Genetics, 19 (3), 363-366. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2010.182
2011
Journal Article
Variants near CCNL1/LEKR1 and in ADCY5 and fetal growth characteristics in different trimesters
Mook-Kanamori, Dennis O., Marsh, Julie A., Warrington, Nicole M., Taal, H. Rob, Newnham, John P., Beilin, Lawrie J., Lye, Stephen J., Palmer, Lyle J., Hofman, Albert, Steegers, Eric A. P., Pennell, Craig E. and Jaddoe, Vincent W. V. (2011). Variants near CCNL1/LEKR1 and in ADCY5 and fetal growth characteristics in different trimesters. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 96 (5), E810-E815. doi: 10.1210/jc.2010-2316
2011
Journal Article
Association between common variation at the FTO locus and changes in body mass index from infancy to late childhood: The complex nature of genetic association through growth and development
Sovio, Ulla, Mook-Kanamori, Dennis O., Warrington, Nicole M., Lawrence, Robert, Briollais, Laurent, Palmer, Colin N. A., Cecil, Joanne, Sandling, Johanna K., Syvanen, Ann-Christin, Kaakinen, Marika, Beilin, Lawrie J., Millwood, Iona Y., Bennett, Amanda J., Laitinen, Jaana, Pouta, Anneli, Molitor, John, Smith, George Davey, Ben-Shlomo, Yoav, Jaddoe, Vincent W. V., Palmer, Lyle J., Pennell, Craig E., Cole, Tim J., McCarthy, Mark I., Jarvelin, Marjo-Riitta and Timpson, Nicholas J. (2011). Association between common variation at the FTO locus and changes in body mass index from infancy to late childhood: The complex nature of genetic association through growth and development. PLoS Genetics, 7 (2) e1001307, e1001307.1-e1001307.13. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1001307
2011
Journal Article
Functional haplotypes in the PTGDR gene fail to associate with asthma in two Australian populations
Jamrozik, Euzebiusz F., Warrington, Nicole, McClenaghan, Jane, Hui, Jennie, Musk, Arthur W., James, Alan, Beilby, John P., Hansen, Janice, De Klerk, Nicholas H. and Palmer, Lyle J. (2011). Functional haplotypes in the PTGDR gene fail to associate with asthma in two Australian populations. Respirology, 16 (2), 359-366. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2010.01917.x
2010
Journal Article
Thirty new loci for age at menarche identified by a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies
Elks, C. E., Perry, J. R. B., Sulem, P., Chasman, D. I., Franceschini, N., He, C. Y., Lunetta, K. L., Visser, J. A., Byrne, E. M., Cousminer, D. L., Gudbjartsson, D. F., Esko, T., Feenstra, B., Hottenga, J. J., Koller, D. L., Kutalik, Z., Lin, P., Mangino, M., Marongiu, M., McArdle, P. F., Smith, A. V., Stolk, L., Van Wingerden, S. H., Zhao, J. H., Albrecht, E., Corre, T., Ingelsson, E., Hayward, C., Magnusson, P. K. E. ... GIANT Consortium (2010). Thirty new loci for age at menarche identified by a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies. Nature Genetics, 42 (12), 1077-1085. doi: 10.1038/ng.714
2010
Journal Article
The longitudinal association of common susceptibility variants for type 2 diabetes and obesity with fasting glucose level and BMI
Webster, Rebecca J., Warrington, Nicole M., Beilby, John P., Frayling, Timothy M. and Palmer, Lyle J. (2010). The longitudinal association of common susceptibility variants for type 2 diabetes and obesity with fasting glucose level and BMI. BMC Medical Genetics, 11 (1) 140. doi: 10.1186/1471-2350-11-140
2010
Journal Article
Cyclic AMP suppression is sufficient to induce gliomagenesis in a mouse model of neurofibromatosis-1
Warrington, Nicole M., Gianino, Scott M., Jackson, Erin, Goldhoff, Patricia, Garbow, Joel R., Piwnica-Worms, David, Gutmann, David H. and Rubin, Joshua B. (2010). Cyclic AMP suppression is sufficient to induce gliomagenesis in a mouse model of neurofibromatosis-1. Cancer Research, 70 (14), 5717-5727. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-3769
2010
Journal Article
Bayesian methods for meta-analysis of causal relationships estimated using genetic instrumental variables
Burgess, S., Thompson, S. G., Andrews, G., Samani, N. J., Hall, A., Whincup, P., Morris, R., Lawlor, D. A., Davey Smith, G., Timpson, N., Ebrahim, S., Ben-Shlomo, Y., Brown, M., Ricketts, S., Sandhu, M., Reiner, A., Psaty, B., Lange, L., Cushman, M., Hung, J., Thompson, P., Beilby, J., Warrington, N., Palmer, L. J., Nordestgaard, B. G., Tybjaerg-Hansen, A., Zacho, J., Wu, C., Lowe, G. ... Whittaker, J. (2010). Bayesian methods for meta-analysis of causal relationships estimated using genetic instrumental variables. Statistics in Medicine, 29 (12), 1298-1311. doi: 10.1002/sim.3843
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Nicole Warrington is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
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
-
Doctor Philosophy
Developing and Applying Statistical Genetics Methods to Elucidate the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Evans
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the time and tissue dependent genetic architecture of complex traits
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Loic Yengo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Identifying pharmacological targets for osteoporosis intervention using whole-genome and exome sequencing of bone related phenotypes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr John Kemp
Completed supervision
-
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
-
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
For media enquiries about Dr Nicole Warrington's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team: