Genetic analysis in familial dementia

Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two common forms of dementia with early onset. In both disorders, sporadic as well as familial cases, where the disease shows an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern appear.
At the department of Public Health and Caring Science, Division of Molecular Geriatrics at Rudbeck laboratory, Uppsala University, we focus on identifying genetic factors that cause these types of dementia. We are mainly analysing a large family material consisting of 250 Swedish families with hereditary dementia. We have previously been successful in identifying and describing new mutations in the APP- and Presenilin 1 genes causing AD. Furthermore, we participated in the recent findings of mutations in the tau gene in families with FTD. However, the majority of our families seem to lack mutations in these known genes. It is therefore of high priority to find new loci associated with these disorders.
We are currently looking for two students to perform their masters thesis projects in our lab. The projects will be focused on genotyping and linkage analysis of polymorphic markers (microsatellites) in various genomic candidate regions for AD and FTD. Methods that will be used are mainly PCR and the automated MegaBace 1000 DNA analysis equipment. Some experience of PCR/genotyping and interest in computer analysis is valuable.