ABOUT US RESEARCHERS - MELISSA HUDSON

B.Sc (Honours), Queen's University

ASD-CARC Research Registry Coordinator

Melissa began working with Dr. Jeanette Holden at the Cytogenetics and DNA Research Laboratory as a high school student and continued to work there while completing undergraduate degree program in Biology at Queen's University from 1994-1998. Her undergraduate thesis was on DBH Gene Polymorphisms in Autism Spectrum Disorders. She worked as a Research Technician in the Neurogenetics Section at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto from 1998-2001 researching the genetics of Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Bulimia, Seasonal Affective Disorder, OCD and Attention Deficity Disorder. In 2001 she returned to work with Dr. Holden and join the Autism Spectrum Disorder-Canadian American Research Consortium (ASD-CARC). Melissa coordinates the Research Registry and Website (www.AutismResearch.com) and is involved in many projects including AutismConnects (www.AutismConnects.com), the Autism Training Program (www.AutismTraining.ca), and the Mobile Laboratory.

Publications: (née Walker)

Liu X, N Novosedlik, A Wang, M Hudson, I Cohen, AE Chudley, CJ Forster-Gibson, MES Lewis, JJA Holden (in press) The DLX1 and DLX2 genes and Susceptibility to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Eur J Hum Genet (Epub: Aug 27, 2008).
Malenfant P, X Liu, M Hudson, Y Qiao, MJ Hildebrand, I Cohen, A Chudley, C Forster-Gibson, ECR Mickelson, E Rajcan-Separovic, MES Lewis and JJA Holden. Association of GTF2i and Microduplications of the Williams-Beuren Syndrome Critical Region with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Psychiatric Genetics, submitted.
Qiao Y, X Liu, M Hudson, C Harvard, MJ Hildebrand, E Rajcan-Separovic, JJA Holden, MES Lewis. Familial microdeletion of Xp11.22 in two brothers with autism spectrum disorders and cleft lip/palate. Clinical Genetics, submitted
Malenfant P, X Liu, Y Qiao, M Hudson, IL Cohen, A Chudley, C Forster-Gibson, E Rajcan-Separovic, MES Lewis, JJA Holden. 2p15-2p16.1 microdeletion syndrome: Molecular characterization and population screening for association with autism spectrum disorders. Clin Genet, submitted
Hettinger JA, X Liu, M Hudson, RC Michaelis, IL Cohen, A Chudley, C Forster-Gibson, CE Schwartz, MES Lewis, JJA Holden. A DRD2 polymorphism is associated with risk for autism spectrum disorders in male-only affected sib-pair families. Biological Psychiatry, submitted
Levitan RD, M Masellis, VS Basile, RW Lam, U Jain, AS Kaplan, SH Kennedy, G Siegel, ML Walker, FJ Vaccarino, JL Kennedy. Polymorphism of the serotonin-2A receptor gene (HTR2A) associated with childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adult women with seasonal affective disorder. J Affect Disord. 2002 Sep;71(1-3):229-33.
Mundo E, M Walker, T Cate, F Macciardi, JL Kennedy (2001) The Role of Serotonin Transporter Protein Gene in Antidepressant-Induced Mania in Bipolar Disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry 58: 539-544.
Levitan RD, AS Kaplan, M Masellis, VS Basile, ML Walker, N Lipson, G Siegel, DB Woodside, FM Macciardi, SH Kennedy, JL Kennedy (2001). Polymorphism of the Serotonin 5-HT1DB Receptor Gene (HTR1B) Associated with Minimum Lifetime Body Mass Index in Women with Bulimia Nervosa. Biological Psychiatry 50: 640-643.
Basile VS, V Ozdemir, M Masellis, ML Walker, HY Meltzer, JA Lieberman, SG Potkin, W Kalow, FM Macciardi and JL Kennedy (2000) A functional polymorphism of the cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) gene: Association with tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry 5: 410-417.
Mundo E, M Walker, H Tims, F Macciardi, JL Kennedy (2000) Lack of Linkage Disequilibrium Between Serotonin Transporter Protein Gene (SLC6A4) and Bipolar Disorder. American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics) 96: 379-383.
Patsalis PC, C Sismani, JA Hettinger, JJ Holden, JS Lawson, M Chalifoux, M Wing, M Walker, J Leggo (1999). Frequencies of “grey-zone” and premutation-size FMR1 CGG-repeat alleles in patients with developmental disability in Cyprus and Canada. Am J Med Genet 84(3):195-7.
Holden JJA, M Walker, M Chalifoux, and BN White (1996) Trinucleotide repeats at the FRAXF locus: frequency and distribution in the general population. American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics) 64: 424-427.

Abstract and Presentations:

Hudson M. ASD-CARC Research Registry: Developing Collaborations and Questionnaires. ASPIRE Training Program Summer Institute, July 2008.
Holden JJA, Liu X, Qiao Y, Malenfant P, Hudson M, Cohen I, Chudley A, Forster-Gibson C, Hildebrand MJ, Rajcan-Separovic E, Lewis MES. Chromosomal Microdeletions and Microduplications in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Great Lakes Chromosome Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada May15-16, 2008.
Malenfant P, Liu X, Hudson M, Qiao Y, Hildebrand MJ, Cohen I, Chudley A, Forster-Gibson C, Mickelson ECR, Rajcan-Separovic E, Lewis MES and Holden JJA.. The STX1A, CYLN2, and GTF2i genes in autism-associated 7q11.2 microduplication syndrome as candidate genes for Autism Spectrum Disorders. International Meeting for Autism Research; May 15-17, 2008, London, England, UK.
Hettinger JA, Liu X, Hudson M, Michaelis RC, Schwartz CW, Lewis MES, Holden JJA. A PPP1R1B Polymorphism is Associated with Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Male-only Affected Sib-pair Families. International Meeting for Autism Research; May 15-17, 2008, London, England, UK.
Liu X, Novosedlik N, Wang A, Hudson M, Cohen IL, Lewis MES and Holden JJA. The DLX1and DLX2 Genes and Susceptibility to Autism Spectrum Disorders. International Meeting for Autism Research; May 15-17, 2008, London, England, UK.
Holden JJA, Spoelstra MJ, Anisman H, Matheson K, JHuntley F, Hudson M, Andrews L, Lewis MES. AutismConnects.com: A Virtual Community of Autism Stakeholders. International Meeting for Autism Research; May 15-17, 2008, London, England, UK.
Liu X, Novosedlik N, Wang A, Hudson M, Cohen IL, Lewis MES and Holden JJA. The Dlx1and Dlx2 genes and Susceptibility to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Accepted for presentation; Scientific Symposium of the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists, Nov 14-17, 2007. Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Liu X, Novosedlik N, Wang A, Hudson M, Cohen IL, Lewis MES and Holden JJA. The Dlx1and Dlx2 genes and Susceptibility to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Accepted for presentation at the 57th Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Oct 23-27, 2007. San Diego, CA, USA.
Hettinger JA, X Liu, M Hudson, JJA Holden (2003) Genetic investigation of three polymorphisms at the dopamine β-hydroxylase gene in multiplex families with autism spectrum disorders. World Congress on Psychiatric Genetics, October, 2003 (Quebec City).
Mundo E, S Tharmalingam, M Walker, A Bolonna, RW Kerwin, F Macciardi, JL Kennedy. Linkage Disequilibrium Between the NMDAR1 Gene and Bipolar Disorder. American Society of Human Genetics Meeting (Philadelphia, USA, 2000).
Walker M, E Mundo, T Cate, F Macciardi, JL Kennedy. Serotonin Transporter Gene (VNTR Polymorphism) in Bipolar Disorder. Eighth World Congress on Psychiatric Genetics (Versailles, France, 2000).
Mundo E, S Tharmalingam, M Walker, F Macciardi, JL Kennedy. NMDAR in Bipolar Disorder . Eighth World Congress on Psychiatric Genetics (Versailles, France, 2000).
Levitan R, Masellis M, Walker ML, Kennedy J, Kaplan A, Kennedy S, Vaccarino F, Woodside B. Tryptophan Hydroxylase Polymorphism and Increased Eating Behaviour in Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Seventh World Congress on Psychiatric Genetics (Monterey, California, USA, 1999).
Ozdemir V, Masellis M, Walker ML, Kalow W, Meltzer HY, Lieberman JA, Potkin SG, Remington G, Macciardi F, Kennedy JL. A Pharmacogenetic Assessment of the Cytochrome P450 1A2 Gene and the Dopamine D3 Receptor Gene in Tardive Dyskinesia. Seventh World Congress on Psychiatric Genetics (Monterey, California, USA, 1999).
Mundo E, Macciardi F, Walker M, Parikh S, Tims H, Kennedy JL. Lack of Linkage Disequilibrium Between Serotonin Transporter Gene and Bipolar Disorder. Seventh World Congress on Psychiatric Genetics (Monterey, California, USA, 1999).
Neves-Pereira M, N Braganza-King, ML Walker, JL Kennedy (1998) TDT studies of CHRNA7 in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. ISPG (New Mexico, 1998).

Thesis:

Walker, M (1998) DBH Gene Polymorphisms and Enzyme Activity in Autism/PDD. B.Sc. (Honours) Thesis, Department of Biology, Queen’s University.