Hilary Coon, Ph.D.
Title: Professor, research track
Current Position:
Education/Training
- B.S. in mathematics, 1983, University of Colorado
- B.S. in music, 1983, University of Colorado
- PhD in psychology, 1991, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado
Certifications
- None
Honors
- Elected member of Phi Beta Kappa (national academic honor society 1982
- Recipient of the Dozier Award for excellence in graduate research from the University of Colorado, 1991
Publications
- Autism Genome Project Consortium, Szatmari P, Paterson AD, Zwaigenbaum L, Roberts W, Brian J, Liu XQ, Vincent JB, Skaug JL, Thompson AP, Senman L, Feuk L, Qian C, Bryson SE, Jones MB, Marshall CR, Scherer SW, Vieland VJ, Bartlett C, Mangin LV, Goedken R, Segre A, Pericak-Vance MA, Cuccaro ML, Gilbert JR, Wright HH, Abramson RK, Betancur C, Bourgeron T, Gillberg C, Leboyer M, Buxbaum JD, Davis KL, Hollander E, Silverman JM, Hallmayer J, Lotspeich L, Sutcliffe JS, Haines JL, Folstein SE, Piven J, Wassink TH, Sheffield V, Geschwind DH, Bucan M, Brown WT, Cantor RM, Constantino JN, Gilliam TC, Herbert M, Lajonchere C, Ledbetter DH, Lese-Martin C, Miller J, Nelson S, Samango-Sprouse CA, Spence S, State M, Tanzi RE, Coon H, Dawson G, Devlin B, Estes A, Flodman P, Klei L, McMahon WM, Minshew N, Munson J, Korvatska E, Rodier PM, Schellenberg GD, Smith M, Spence MA, Stodgell C, Tepper PG, Wijsman EM, Yu CE, Rogé B, Mantoulan C, Wittemeyer K, Poustka A, Felder B, Klauck SM, Schuster C, Poustka F, Bölte S, Feineis-Matthews S, Herbrecht E, Schmötzer G, Tsiantis J, Papanikolaou K, Maestrini E, Bacchelli E, Blasi F, Carone S, Toma C, Van Engeland H, de Jonge M, Kemner C, Koop F, Langemeijer M, Hijimans C, Staal WG, Baird G, Bolton PF, Rutter ML, Weisblatt E, Green J, Aldred C, Wilkinson JA, Pickles A, Le Couteur A, Berney T, McConachie H, Bailey AJ, Francis K, Honeyman G, Hutchinson A, Parr JR, Wallace S, Monaco AP, Barnby G, Kobayashi K, Lamb JA, Sousa I, Sykes N, Cook EH, Guter SJ, Leventhal BL, Salt J, Lord C, Corsello C, Hus V, Weeks DE, Volkmar F, Tauber M, Fombonne E, Shih A. Mapping autism risk loci using genetic linkage and chromosomal rearrangements. Nat Genet. 2007 Mar;39(3):319-28. Epub 2007 Feb 18. PMID: 17322880
- Brune CW, Korvatska E, Allen-Brady K, Cook EH Jr, Dawson G, Devlin B, Estes A, Hennelly M, Hyman SL, McMahon WM, Munson J, Rodier PM, Schellenberg GD, Stodgell CJ, Coon H. Heterogeneous association between engrailed-2 and autism in the CPEA network. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2007 Oct 19;
- Allen-Brady K, Miller J, Matsunami N, Stevens J, Block H, Farley M, Krasny L, Pingree C, Lainhart J, Leppert M, McMahon WM, Coon H. A high-density SNP genome-wide linkage scan in a large autism extended pedigree. Molec Psychiat 2007 [accepted for publication].
- Coon H, Matsunami N, Stevens J, Miller J, Pingree C, Camp NJ, Thomas A, Krasny L, Lainhart J, Leppert MF, McMahon W. Evidence for linkage on chromosome 3q25-27 in a large autism extended pedigree. Hum Hered. 2005;60(4):220-6. Epub 2006 Jan 2.
- Schellenberg GD, Dawson G, Sung YJ, Estes A, Munson J, Rosenthal E, Rothstein J, Flodman P, Smith M, Coon H, Leong L, Yu CE, Stodgell C, Rodier PM, Spence MA, Minshew N, McMahon WM, Wijsman EM. Evidence for multiple loci from a genome scan of autism kindreds. Mol Psychiatry. 2006 Nov;11(11):1049-60, 979. Epub 2006 Aug 1.
Academic Activities
- Dr. Coon’s primary research interests in the Department of Psychiatry are finding genes that lead to susceptibility to autism and to Tourette syndrome (TS). Work to achieve these goals uses extended families having members with either autism (or autism spectrum disorder) or TS. Autism and TS may have many causes, but genetics appears to be important in at least some families. If we are able to recognize which genes pass increased risk for these disorders from parent to child, this will be a step toward better understanding of underlying mechanisms, and possibly toward better early detection and treatment. Other research interests include genetics of nicotine addiction, suicide, and ADHD. Interests outside the department include general methods in statistical genetics, cardiovascular genetics, and genetics applied to variation in normal human traits.
- Methods in Dr. Coon’s studies used to search for genes for complex human diseases and traits focus on genetic linkage and association studies of DNA markers with variation in the disease or trait. Intermediate traits associated with disease have also been a focus of Dr. Coon’s research. Quantitative traits that are correlated with disease are often observed at increased rates in clinically unaffected family members. These traits in disease families may indicate the presence of relatively common alleles that, together with other genetic and environmental factors, contribute to increased risk of disease in affected pedigree members. It is the combination of several such risk alleles, of risk alleles and polygenic background effects, and/or of risk alleles and environmental factors that may lead to disease. In addition, appearance of particular quantitative phenotypes in affected pedigree members, together with their clinically unaffected relatives, may indicate particular genetic subtypes of disease present in the family. The study of these phenotypes within families may reveal susceptibility alleles that would otherwise not be detected.
