DR. BRETT ABRAHAMS, Ph.D.

OVERVIEW
My work is aimed towards understanding how genetic variation shapes human brain
development and impacts disease risk. I employ high throughput genomic strategies to identify
disease-linked variation and work understand the mechanistic consequence of defined variants in
model systems. Work I have led at UCLA has resulted in the identification of novel Autism
candidate genes including CNTNAP2, BZRAP1, and MDGA2. Ongoing work is poised to clarify
mechanisms underlying the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), define therapeutic entry points,
and organize molecular relationships between clinically distinct neurobehavioral disorders.

WORK EXPERIENCE &EDUCATION

• Assistant Professor, In Residence July 2010 – Dept Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, New York
• Visiting Assistant Professor July 2009 – June 2010 Dept Neurology, University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles, California
• Fellowship, Neurogenetics Sep 2004 – June 2009 Dan Geschwind, University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles, California
• PhD, Neuroscience May 1997 – Aug 2004 Elizabeth M. Simpson, University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada
• BSc (Honors), Psychology Sep 1992 – May 1997 Richard J. Beninger, Queen’s University Kingston, Canada

AWARDS &DISTINCTIONS

• Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) Gene Advisory Board (2009)
• UCLA Brain Research Institute / Fine Science Tools Postdoctoral Scholar Award (2008)
• Research Grant from Autism Speaks (2007-2008) – Abrahams/Geschwind
• Tourette Syndrome Assoc. of America Post-Doctoral Fellowship (2006, 2007)
• H.F. Guggenheim Dissertation Fellowship (2003)
• BCRI for Children's and Women's Health Graduate Studentship (2003)
• Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation of Canada Graduate Student Award (2002-2003)
• Lionel E. McLeod Health Research Scholarship from AHFMR (2002)
• Children’s & Women’s Health Center of B.C. Education Award of Excellence (2002)
• C&W Health Center of BC Outstanding Achievement by a Doctoral Student Award (2002)
• University of British Columbia External Award “Top-Up” (1999-2001)
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research Doctoral Research Award (1999-2001)
• K.M. Hunter / CIHR Doctoral Research Award (1999-2001)
• Alzheimer Society of Canada Doctoral Award (1999-2001)
• Burroughs Wellcome Bursary to Canadian Bioinformatics Workshop (1999)
• University of British Columbia Graduate Fellowship (1998).

PUBLICATIONS

Panaitof, S.C., Abrahams, B.S., Dong, H., Geschwind, D.H., White, S.A. (200_). Languagerelated
Cntnap2 gene is differentially expressed in sexually dimorphic song nuclei essential
for vocal learning in songbirds. Journal of Comparative Neurology, In Press.

Bucan, M.*, Abrahams, B.S.*, Wang, K.*, thirty-one additional authors, Geschwind D.H., and
Hakonarson, H. (2009). Genome-wide analyses of exonic copy number variants in a
family-based study point to novel autism susceptibility genes. * Contributed Equally.
PLoS Genetics, 5(6): e1000536.

Wang, K.*, Zhang, H.*, Ma, D.Q.*, Bucan, M., Glessner, J.T., Abrahams, B.S., thirty-nine
additional authors, Geschwind D.H., Pericak-Vance M.A., Schellenberg, G.D., and
Hakonarson, H. Common genetic variation is associated with susceptibility to autism
spectrum disorders. * Contributed Equally. Nature, 459(7246):528-33 [PMID: 19404256]

Vernes, S.C., Newbury, D.F., Abrahams, B.S., Winchester, L., Nicod, J., Groszer, M., Alarcón,
M., Oliver, P.L. Davies, K.E, Geschwind, D.H. Monaco, A.P., Fisher, S.E. (2008).
A functional genetic link between distinct developmental language disorders.
New England Journal of Medicine, 359(22):2337-2345 [PMID: 18987363].

Alarcón, M.*, Abrahams, B.S.*, Stone, S.L., Duvall, J.A., Perederiy, J.V., Bomar, J.M., Sebat,
J., Wigler, M., Martin, C.L., Ledbetter, D.H., Nelson, S.F., Cantor R.M., Geschwind, D.H.
(2008). Linkage, association and gene expression analyses identify CNTNAP2 as an
autism susceptibility gene. *Contributed Equally. American Journal of Human Genetics,
82:150-159. [PMID: 18179893].

Bakkaloglu, B.*, O’Roak, B.J.*, Louvi, A., Gupta, A.R., Abelson, J.F., Morgan, T.M.,
Chawarska, K., Klin, A., Ercan-Sencicek, G., Stillman, A.A., Tanriover, G., Abrahams, B.S.,
Duvall, J.A., Robbins, E.M., Geschwind, D.H., Biederer, T., Gunel, M., Lifton, R.P., State
M.W. (2008). Molecular cytogenetic analysis and re-sequencing of Contactin Associated
Protein-Like 2 in Autism Spectrum Disorder. *Contributed Equally. American Journal of
Human Genetics, 82:165-173. [PMID: 18179895].

Kumar, R.A., McGhee K.A. Leach, S., Bonaguro, R., Maclean, A., Aguirre-Hennandez, R.,
Abrahams, B.S., Coccarro, E.F, Hodgins, S., Turecki, G., Condon, A., Muir, W., Brooks-
Wilson, A.R, Blackwood, D., Simpson, E.M. (2008). Initial association of NR2E1 with
bipolar disorder and identification of candidate mutations in bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia, and aggression through resequencing. American Journal of Medical
Genetics, 5;147B(6):880-9. [PMID: 18205168].

Abrahams, B.S., Tentler D.*, Perederiy, J.V.*, Oldham, M.C., Coppola, G., Geschwind, D.H.
(2007). Genomewide analyses of human peri-sylvian cerebral cortical patterning.
*Contributed Equally. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104:17849-54.
[PMID: 17978184].

Francks, C., Maegawa, S.*, Laurén, J.*, Abrahams, B.S., and 38 additional authors. (2007).
LRRTM1 on chromosome 2p12 is a maternally suppressed gene that is associated
paternally with handedness and schizophrenia. * Contributed Equally. Molecular
Psychiatry, 12:1129-39. [PMID 17667961].

Kumar, R.A., Leach, S., Bonaguro, R., Chen, J., Yokom, D.W, Abrahams, B.S., Seaver, L.,
Schwartz, C., Dobyns, W., Brooks-Wilson, A., Simpson, E.M. (2007). Mutation and
evolutionary analyses of NR2E1 identify candidate regulatory mutations in human
cortical malformation. Genes Brain Behav, 6:503-16. [PMID: 17054721].

Abrahams, B.S., Kwok M.C.H., Trinh, E., Budaghzadeh, S., Hossain, S.M., and Simpson, E.M.
(2005). Pathological aggression in ‘fierce’ mice corrected by human NR2E1 / TLX.
Journal of Neuroscience, 25:6263-6270. [PMID: 16000615].

Kumar, R.A., Chan., K.L., Wong. A.H.W., Little K.Q., Rajcan-Separovic, E., Abrahams, B.S.,
Simpson, E.M. (2004). Unexpected embryonic stem (ES) cell mutations represent a
concern in gene targeting: lesson from ‘fierce’ mice. Genesis, 38:51-57.
[PMID: 14994267].

Abrahams, B.S., Chong, A.C.O., Nisha, M., Milette, D., Brewster, D.A., Berry, M.L.,
Muratkhodjaev, F., Mai, S., Rajcan-Separovic, E., and Simpson, E.M. (2003). Early FISHing
of transgenic mice recommended; one-step SKY-FISH reveals balanced translocation.
Genesis, 36:134-141. [PMID: 12872244].

Abrahams, B.S., Mak, G.M., Berry, M.L., Palmquist, D.L., Saionz, J.R., Tay, A., Tan, Y.H.,
Brenner, S., Simpson, E.M.*, and Venkatesh, B*. (2002). Novel vertebrate genes and
putative regulatory elements identified at kidney disease and NR2E1 / fierce loci.
Genomics, 80:45-53. [PMID: 12079282].

Harman, A.M., Abrahams, B.S., Moore, S.R., and Hoskins, R. (2000). Neuronal density in the
human retinal ganglion cell layer from 16-77 years. Anatomical Record, 260:124-131.
[PMID: 10993949].

Abrahams, B.S., Rutherford, J.D., Mallet, P.E., and Beninger, R.J. (1998). Place conditioning
with the dopamine D1-like receptor agonist SKF 82958 but not SKF 81927 or SKF 77434.
European Journal of Pharmacology, 343:111-118. [PMID: 9570457].