
Brian Clay Oliver, Ph.D.
Senior Investigator
Developmental Genomics Section​, Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology
NIDDK
Research Topics
Our ultimate goal is to determine how the collective action of genes results in an individual with specific characteristics, development, and disease susceptibilities.
Current Research
Drosophila melanogaster is an important functional model system, boasting facile genetics, complex organ systems, complex behaviors, and a sequenced genome. Our long-term goal is to develop predictive models of gene function with a specific focus on sex differentiation in the germline. Our approach relies on high-throughput techniques used to profile biological processes such as expression, promoter occupancy, and chromatin status, in conjunction with computational analysis and genetics.
Applying our Research
Subtle perturbations in gene networks are likely to cause much of inherited disease susceptibility, but understanding how complex genotypes and environmental interactions result in disease will require experimental systems biology using model organisms. Predictive models for gene and pathway function will be important for diagnosis and ultimately intervention, fulfilling the promise of the human genome project.
Need for Further Study
We have a reasonable understanding of the functions of some individual genes, but we know very little about how they work together.
Biography
- Postdoctoral, Stanford University
- Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
- M.S., Iowa State University of Science and Technology
- B.A., Gustavus Adolphus College
Selected Publications
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Galletta BJ, Ortega JM, Smith SL, Fagerstrom CJ, Fear JM, Mahadevaraju S, Oliver B, Rusan NM. Sperm Head-Tail Linkage Requires Restriction of Pericentriolar Material to the Proximal Centriole End. Dev Cell. 2020;53(1):86-101.e7.
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Benner L, Castro EA, Whitworth C, Venken KJT, Yang H, Fang J, Oliver B, Cook KR, Lerit DA. <i>Drosophila</i> Heterochromatin Stabilization Requires the Zinc-Finger Protein Small Ovary. Genetics. 2019;213(3):877-895.
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Yang H, Jaime M, Polihronakis M, Kanegawa K, Markow T, Kaneshiro K, Oliver B. Re-annotation of eight <i>Drosophila</i> genomes. Life Sci Alliance. 2018;1(6):e201800156.
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Wang Y, Cho DY, Lee H, Fear J, Oliver B, Przytycka TM. Reprogramming of regulatory network using expression uncovers sex-specific gene regulation in Drosophila. Nat Commun. 2018;9(1):4061.
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Lee H, Cho DY, Whitworth C, Eisman R, Phelps M, Roote J, Kaufman T, Cook K, Russell S, Przytycka T, Oliver B. Effects of Gene Dose, Chromatin, and Network Topology on Expression in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Genet. 2016;12(9):e1006295.
Related Scientific Focus Areas
This page was last updated on October 15th, 2020