Curriculum Vitae
August 2009
AGNAR HELGASON
Born:
Marital status: Married, 2 children
Work address: deCODE
Genetics, Sturlugata 8, 101
Reykjavík,
Position: Senior Research Scientist in Biological Anthropology at deCODE Genetics
(also Associate
Research Professor at the Department of Anthropology,
Work phone: +354-5701856
Work fax: +354-5701903
E-mail: ![]()
Home
address: Hofteigur 30, 105 Reykjavík,
Home phone: +354-5870138
EDUCATION
B.A. in Anthropology.
M.A. in Social Anthropology.
M.Phil. in Biological Anthropology.
D.Phil. (PhD) in Biological
Anthropology.
· Reviewer of manuscripts for American Journal of Human Genetics (2001-2003,2006,2008-2009), American Journal of Physical Anthropology (2003, 2006), Annals of Human Genetics (2005, 2007-2008), BMC Genetics (2007, 2009), Current Biology (2008-2009), European Journal of Human Genetics (2005-2006), Evolution and Human Behavior (2009), Genetics (2007), Heredity (2006), Human Biology (2005-2006), Human Genetics (2004-2005), Human Heredity (2006), Molecular Psychiatry (2005), Molecular Biology and Evolution (2007), Nature Genetics (2004-2008), PLoS Genetics (2007-2008) and Population Studies (2009).
·
Teaching of undergratuate courses in Biological
Anthropology at the
·
Teaching of postgraduate course in Human
Genetics at the
·
Supervision of students’ dissertations and
research projects at both the undergraduate and postgraduate (Masters) levels
at the
·
PhD examiner,
GRANTS, AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
· Students’ Creative Research Fund, Icelandic Ministry of Education, 1992
· Postgraduate Research Fund, Icelandic Ministry of Education, 1994–1995
· Erasmus Student Mobility Scheme, European Union, 1994–1995
· Overseas Research Scheme (ORS) Award, Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of Universities and Colleges in the United Kingdom, 1997–1999
· Cambridge Overseas Trust, bursary award, 1997
· Nordic Environmental Research Progrmme (NERP), research grant, 1996-1997
·
Award of Young Researcher’s Prize for best
lecture, at the Third Biennial Euroconference of the European Human Genome
Diversity Project, “Human Diversity in Europe and Beyond: Retrospect and
Prospect”,
·
·
PUBLICATIONS
Articles in refereed
scientific journals
Price AL, Helgason A, Palsson S, Stefansson H, St
Clair D, Andreassen OA, Reich D, Kong A, Stefansson K (2009) The impact of
divergence time on the nature of population structure: an example from Iceland.
PLoS Genet 5:e1000505
Helgason, A., C. Lalueza-Fox, S. Ghosh, S.
Sigurethardottir, M. L. Sampietro, E. Gigli, A. Baker, J. Bertranpetit, L.
Arnadottir, U. Thorsteinsdottir, and K. Stefansson (2009) Sequences from first
settlers reveal rapid evolution in Icelandic mtDNA pool. PLoS Genet 5:e1000343.
Helgason, A., S. Palsson, D. F. Guðbjartsson, P. Kristjansson, and K. Stefansson. (2008) Response to
Comments on "An Association Between the Kinship and Fertility of Human
Couples". Science 322:-.
Palsdottir A, Helgason A, Palsson S, Bjornsson HT,
Bragason BT, Gretarsdottir S, Thorsteinsdottir U, Olafsson E, Stefansson K
(2008) A drastic reduction in the life span of cystatin C L68Q carriers due to
life-style changes during the last two centuries. PLoS Genet 4:e1000099
Gudbjartsson, D.
F., P. Sulem, S. N. Stacey, A. M. Goldstein, T. Rafnar, B. Sigurgeirsson, K. R.
Benediktsdottir, K. Thorisdottir, R. Ragnarsson, S. G. Sveinsdottir, V.
Magnusson, A. Lindblom, K. Kostulas, R. Botella-Estrada, V. Soriano, P.
Juberias, M. Grasa, B. Saez, R. Andres, D. Scherer, P. Rudnai, E. Gurzau, K.
Koppova, L. A. Kiemeney, M. Jakobsdottir, S. Steinberg, A. Helgason, S. Gretarsdottir, M. A. Tucker, J. I. Mayordomo, E.
Nagore, R. Kumar, J. Hansson, J. H. Olafsson, J. Gulcher, A. Kong, U.
Thorsteinsdottir, and K. Stefansson. (2008) ASIP and TYR pigmentation variants
associate with cutaneous melanoma and basal cell carcinoma. Nature Genetics 40:886-891.
Stacey, S. N., D. F. Gudbjartsson, P. Sulem,
J. T. Bergthorsson, R. Kumar, G. Thorleifsson, A. Sigurdsson, M. Jakobsdottir,
B. Sigurgeirsson, K. R. Benediktsdottir, K. Thorisdottir, R. Ragnarsson, D.
Scherer, P. Rudnai, E. Gurzau, K. Koppova, V. Hoiom, R. Botella-Estrada, V.
Soriano, P. Juberias, M. Grasa, F. J. Carapeto, P. Tabuenca, Y. Gilaberte, J.
Gudmundsson, S. Thorlacius, A. Helgason,
T. Thorlacius, A. Jonasdottir, T. Blondal, S. A. Gudjonsson, G. F. Jonsson, J.
Saemundsdottir, K. Kristjansson, G. Bjornsdottir, S. G. Sveinsdottir, M. Mouy,
F. Geller, E. Nagore, J. I. Mayordomo, J. Hansson, T. Rafnar, A. Kong, J. H.
Olafsson, U. Thorsteinsdottir, and K. Stefansson. (2008) Common variants on
1p36 and 1q42 are associated with cutaneous basal cell carcinoma but not with
melanoma or pigmentation traits. Nature
Genetics 40:1313-1318.
Sulem P, Gudbjartsson DF, Stacey SN, Helgason A, Rafnar T, Jakobsdottir M,
Steinberg S, et al. (2008) Two newly identified genetic determinants of
pigmentation in Europeans. Nature
Genetics 40:835-837
Helgason A, Palsson S, Gudbjartsson DF, Kristjansson
T, Stefansson K (2008) An association between the kinship and fertility of
human couples. Science
319:813-816
Emilsson V,
Thorleifsson G, Zhang B, Leonardson AS, Zink F, Zhu J, Carlson S, ... Helgason, A et al. (2008) Genetics of
gene expression and its effect on disease. Nature
452:423-428
Kong A,
Thorleifsson G, Stefansson H, Masson G, Helgason
A, Gudbjartsson DF, Jonsdottir GM, et al. (2008) Sequence Variants in the
RNF212 Gene Associate with Genomewide Recombination Rate. Science 319:1398-1401
Goldstein AM,
Stacey SN, Olafsson JH, Jonsson GF, Helgason
A, Sulem P, et al. (2008) CDKN2A Mutations and Melanoma Risk in the
Icelandic Population. Journal of Medical
Genetics
Gottfredsson M,
Halldorsson BV, Jonsson S, Kristjansson M, Kristjansson K, Kristinsson KG, Love
A, Blondal T, Viboud C, Thorvaldsson S, Helgason
A, et al. (2008) Lessons from the past: Familial aggregation analysis of
fatal pandemic influenza (Spanish flu) in Iceland in 1918. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 105:1303-1308
Sulem P, Gudbjartsson
DF, Stacey SN, Helgason A, Rafnar T,
Magnusson KP et al. (2007) Genetic
determinants of hair, eye and skin pigmentation in Europeans. Nature Genetics 39:1443-1452
Gudbjartsson, D.
F., D. O. Arnar, A. Helgadottir, S. Gretarsdottir, H. Holm, A. Sigurdsson, A.
Jonasdottir, A. Baker, G. Thorleifsson, K. Kristjansson, A. Palsson, T.
Blondal, P. Sulem, V. M. Backman, G. A. Hardarson, E. Palsdottir, A. Helgason, et al. (2007). Variants
conferring risk of atrial fibrillation on chromosome 4q25. Nature 448:353-357.
Helgason, A., S. Palsson, C. Lalueza-Fox, S. Ghosh, S.
Sigurdardottir, A. Baker, B. Hrafnkelsson, L. Arnadottir, U.
Thornorsteinsdottir, and K. Stefansson. 2007a. A Statistical Approach to
Identify Ancient Template DNA. Journal
of Molecular Evolution 65:92-102.
Gudmundsson, J.,
P. Sulem, A. Manolescu, L. T. Amundadottir, D. Gudbjartsson, A. Helgason, et al. (2007). Genome-wide
association study identifies a second prostate cancer susceptibility variant at
8q24. Nature Genetics
39:631-637.
Gudmundsson, J.,
P. Sulem, V. Steinthorsdottir, J. T. Bergthorsson, G. Thorleifsson, A.
Manolescu, T. Rafnar, D. Gudbjartsson, B. A. Agnarsson, A. Baker, A.
Sigurdsson, K. R. Benediktsdottir, M. Jakobsdottir, T. Blondal, S. N. Stacey, A. Helgason, et al. (2007). Two
variants on chromosome 17 confer prostate cancer risk, and the one in TCF2
protects against type 2 diabetes. Nature
Genetics 39:977-983.
Helgason, A., S. Palsson, G. Thorleifsson, S. F. Grant,
V. Emilsson, S. Gunnarsdottir, A. Adeyemo, et al. (2007). Refining the impact
of TCF7L2 gene variants on type 2 diabetes and adaptive evolution. Nature Genetics 39:218-225.
Stacey, S. N., A.
Manolescu, P. Sulem, T. Rafnar, J. Gudmundsson, S. A. Gudjonsson, G. Masson, M.
Jakobsdottir, S. Thorlacius, A. Helgason,
et al. (2007). Common variants on chromosomes 2q35 and 16q12 confer
susceptibility to estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Nature Genetics 39:865-869.
Amundadottir LT,
Sulem P, Gudmundsson J, Helgason A,
Baker A, Agnarsson BA, Sigurdsson A, et al. (2006) A common variant associated
with prostate cancer in European and African populations. Nature Genetics 38:652-658
Stacey SN, Sulem
P, Johannsson OT, Helgason A,
Gudmundsson J, et al. (2006) The BARD1 Cys557Ser Variant and Breast Cancer Risk
in Iceland. PLoS Medicine
3:e217
Helgason A, Pálsson G, Sloth
Petersen H, Angulalik E, Gunnarsdóttir ED, Yngvadóttir B, Stefánsson K (2006) mtDNA
variation in Inuit populations of
Grant SFA, Thorleifsson G, Reynisdottir I,
Benediktsson R, Manolescu A, Sainz J, Helgason
A, et al. (2006) Variant of transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene
confers risk of type 2 diabetes. Nature
Genetics 38: 320-23.
Helgadottir A, Manolescu A, Helgason A, Thorleifsson G,
Thorsteinsdottir U, Gudbjartsson DF, Gretarsdottir S, et al. (2006) A variant
of the gene encoding leukotriene A4 hydrolase confers ethnicity-specific risk
of myocardial infarction. Nature Genetics
38:68-74
Goodacre S, Helgason
A, Nicholson J, Southam L,
Stefansson H, Helgason
A, Thorleifsson G, Steinthorsdottir V, Masson G, Barnard J, Baker A, et al.
(2005) A common inversion under selection in Europeans. Nature Genetics 37: 129-137
Helgason A, Yngvadottir B, Hrafnkelsson
B, Gulcher J, Stefansson K (2005) An Icelandic example of the impact of
population structure on association studies. Nature Genetics 37: 90-95
Soldevila M, Calafell F, Helgason A, Stefansson K, Bertranpetit
J (2005) Assessing the signatures of selection in PRNP from polymorphism data:
results support Kreitman and Di Rienzo's opinion. Trends in Genetics 21:389-391
Helgason A and Stefansson K (2003) Erroneous claims about
the impact of mtDNA sequence database errors. American Journal of
Human Genetics 73: 974-975.
Helgason A, Nicholson G, Stefansson K, Donnelly P (2003).
A reassessment of genetic diversity in Icelanders: Strong evidence from
multiple loci for relative homogeneity caused by genetic drift. Annals of
Human Genetics 67: 281-97.
Helgason A, Hrafnkelsson B, Gulcher JR, Ward R, Stefansson K (2003). A population-wide coalescent analysis of Icelandic matrilineal and patrilineal genealogies: Evidence for a faster evolutionary rate of mtDNA lineages than Y-chromosomes. American Journal of Human Genetics 72: 1370-88.
Pálsson G and Helgason A (2003) Blonds,
Lost and Found: Representations of Genes, Identity, and History. Developing
World Bioethics 3: 159-169
Soldevila M, Calafell F, Andres A, Yagüe J, Helgason A,
Stefánsson K, Bertranpetit J (2003) Prion susceptibility and protective alleles
exhibit marked geographic differences. Human Mutation 22: 104-5.
Qamar R, Ayub Q, Mohyuddin A, Helgason A,
Mazhar K, Mansoor A, Zerjal T, Tyler-Smith C, Mehdi SQ (2002). Y-chromosomal
DNA variation in
Mohyuddin A, Ayub Q, Qamar R, Zerjal T, Helgason A, Mehdi SQ, Tyler-Smith C (2001) Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes in Pakistani populations. Forensic Science International 118:141-6.
Helgason, A., Hickey, E.,
Goodacre, S., Vega, E., Bosnes, V., Stefánsson, K., Ward, R., Sykes, B. 2001.
mtDNA and the islands of the
Gulcher, J., Helgason, A., Stefánsson, K. 2000. Genetic homogeneity of Icelanders (Correspondence). Nature Genetics 26: 395
Helgason, A.,
Sigurðardóttir, S., Nicholson, J., Sykes, B., Hill, E., Bradley, D.G., Bosnes,
V., Gulcher, J.R., Ward, R., Stefánsson, K. 2000. Estimating Scandinavian and
Gaelic ancestry in the male settlers of
Sigurðardóttir, S., A. Helgason, J. Gulcher, K. Stefánsson and P. Donnelly 2000. The mutation rate in the human mitochondrial DNA control region. American Journal of Human Genetics 66: 1599-1609
Helgason, A,
Monsalve, M.V., A. Helgason,
and D.V. Devine 1999. Languages, geography and HLA haplotypes in Native
American and Asian populations. Proceedings
of the Royal Society of
Pálsson, G. and A. Helgason 1999. Kvótakerfið: kenning og veruleiki. Skírnir 173: 8-12.
Pálsson, G. and A. Helgason 1998. Schooling and Skipperhood: The Development of Dexterity. American Anthropologist 100(4): 908-923.
Helgason, A. and G. Pálsson 1997. Contested commodities: The moral landscape of modernist regimes. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, incorporating Man (NS) 3(3): 451-471.
Pálsson, G. and A. Helgason 1995. Figuring fish and measuring men: The ITQ system in the Icelandic Cod Fishery, Ocean and Coastal Management 28 (1-3): 117-146.
Chapters in edited books
Helgason A (2004) Uppruni Íslendinga (The origin of the Icelanders),
in Hlutavelta tímans: Menningararfur á
Þjóðminjasafni, eds Árni Björnsson and Hrefna Róbertsdóttir, Reykjavík:
Þjóðminjasafn Íslands
Helgason, A,
Helgason, A. and G.
Pálsson 1998. Cash for quotas: Disputes over the legitimacy of an economic
model of fishing in
Helgason, A. 1997. Uppruni Íslendinga: Vitnisburður prótínafbrigða, hvatbera DNA og sögulegrar lýðfræði (The origin of the Icelanders: Evidence from serology, mtDNA and historical demography), in Við og hinir: Rannsóknir í mannfræði, eds Gísli Pálsson, Haraldur Ólafsson og Sigríður Dúna Kristmundsdóttir. Reykjavík: Mannfræðistofnun Háskóla Íslands.
Pálsson, G. and A. Helgason
1996. The politics of production: Equity, efficiency and enclosure, in Images of contemporary
Pálsson, G. and A. Helgason
1996. Property rights and practical knowledge: The Icelandic quota system, in Fisheries management in crisis: A social
science perspective, eds D. Symes and K. Crean.
TALKS AND POSTERS PRESENTED AT SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
The study of micro-evolutionary
patterns using genealogical data: Humans as a model organism (Invited speaker). The
The study of micro-evolutionary
patterns using genealogical data: Humans as a model organism (Invited seminar). Mathematical Genetics
and Bioinformatics Seminar, Department of Statistics,
The study of micro-evolutionary
patterns using genealogical data: Humans as a model organism (Invited seminar). DNA and History Seminar
Series. Department of History,
In what sense are genetic variants
“normal”, “advantageous” or “pathological”? (Invited speaker). EMBL E4S PhD and Post-Doc Summer School.
The study of micro-evolutionary
patterns using genealogical data: Humans as a model organism (Invited speaker). Annual meeting of the
Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution 2008.
deCODEme: The making and use of a
personal genome service (Invited speaker).
The Personal Genome - Hopes, Facts and Fears
The study of micro-evolutionary
patterns using genealogical data: Humans as a model organism (Invited seminar). The Wellcome Trust
Sanger Institute, Hinxton,
Dissecting the genetic history of a
human population: A decade of research about Icelanders (Keynote speaker). The
Sanger-EBI-Cambridge PhD Symposium (SCAMPS), The Wellcome Trust Sanger
Institute, Hinxton,
The genetic history of the
Icelandic population (Invited speaker).
The 5th
Dissecting the genetic history of
the Icelandic population (Invited seminar).
Topmaster mini-symposium on Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Centre for
Ecological and Evolutionary Studies,
Tracing the footprints of natural
selection in the human genome: Implications for understanding common diseases (Invited seminar). Centre for Ecological
and Evolutionary Studies,
Refining the impact of TCF7L2 gene
variants on type 2 diabetes and adaptive evolution (Invited speaker). Human Evolution and Disease, EMBO Workshop,
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology,
A statistical approach to identify
ancient template DNA (Invited speaker).
Human Evolution and Disease, EMBO Workshop, Centre for Cellular and Molecular
Biology,
Assessing the degree of population
stratification in association studies: An example from
Using genetics to trace the impact
of Norse activities in the
The role of evolutionary
anthropology in medical genetic research: Some examples from deCODE Genetics in
A common inversion conferring selective advantage in Europeans (Oral presentation). Co-authors: H. Stefansson, G.Thorleifsson, V.Steinthorsdottir,
G. Masson, J.Barnard, A.Baker, A.Jonasdottir, A.Ingason, V.G. Gudnadottir, N.Desnica,
A.Hicks, A.Gylfason, D.F. Gudbjartsson, G.M. Jonsdottir, J.Sainz, K.Agnarsson,
B.Birgisdottir, S.Ghosh, A.Olafsdottir, J.B.Cazier, K.Kristjansson, M.L.
Frigge, T.E. Thorgeirsson, J.R. Gulcher, A.Kong, K.Stefansson. Genomic studies
and the HapMap, International HapMap Project,
Geographic stratification in the
ancestry of breast cancer patients and carriers of the BRCA2-999del5 founder
mutation in
The genetic legacy of the sexes in
the
Using genetic data to study human
history (Invited seminar). The University of Greenland (Ilisimatusarfik), Nuuk,
The genetic history of
Inuit genetic history (Oral presentation) Co-authors: Pálsson
G, Pedersen HS, Angulalik E; Stefánsson K. The 12th International Congress of
Circumpolar Health (ICCH12) Nuuk,
LD patterns in
the Xq25 region of the X-chromosome in three European populations (Poster presentation). Co-authors: B
Pálsson, B Hrafnkelsson, C
A method to
evaluate the statistical significance of LD differences between populations (Poster presentation). Co-authors: B
Hrafnkelsson, H Stefánsson, GF Jónsson,
Hunting and
gathering genes: implications of the genealogical approach to human history (Oral presentation). Co-author: Gisli
Palsson. Ninth International Conference on Hunting and Gathering Societies.
Session 8: Beyond universalism and relativism.
The genetic
legacy of the Vikings: Mitochondrial DNA and the footprints of Norse Settlement
patterns in the
Genetic Studies
of Inuit Populations (Oral presentation). 2nd Nordic Arctic
Research Programme Symposium: “The Arctic in the Anthropocene: The North
Atlantic Arctic in Focus, The Stefansson Arctic Institute - Sólborg Campus,
Icelandic
genealogies indicate that mtDNA lineages drift faster than Y-chromosomes (Oral presentation). Co-authors: R Ward,
JR Gulcher and K Stefánsson. Inherited Disorders and their Genes. European
Research Conference (Euresco).
Gaelic
contributions to Icelandic origins (Invited
oral presentation). Irish Origins: The Genetic History & Geography of
mtDNA
and the origin of the Icelanders: Deciphering signals of recent population
history (Oral presentation).
Co-authors: S. Sigurðardóttir, J. Gulcher, R. Ward and K. Stefánsson. Third
Biennial Euroconference of the European Human Genome Diversity Project, “Human
Diversity in Europe and Beyond: Retrospect and Prospect”,
A phylogenetic
portrait of mtDNA variation in the Icelandic population (Poster presentation). Co-authors: S. Sigurðardóttir, J. Gulcher and
K. Stefánsson. 1999. Inherited disorders and their genes in different European
populations. European Research Conference (Euresco). Obernai,
Drift and
origins: Reconstructing the genetic and demographic history of the Icelanders.
(Invited oral presentation). 1998
Nordic Meeting of Biological Anthropologists; Clara Lachmann Symposium.
Analysis of HLA
class II haplotypes in Native American aboriginal and Asian populations. (Poster presentation). Co-authors: M.V.
Monsalve, D.V. Devine. Sixth Annual Meeting: Society for Molecular Biology and
Evolution.
Genetic drift in
the
Untangling
origins in
Contested
commodities: Mapping the moral landscape of exchange. (Oral presentation). Co-author: G.Pálsson. 4th EASA
(European Association of Social Anthropologists) Conference,