Dr Pam Wiener
Reader

Contact details
Address
- Street
-
The Roslin Institute
Easter Bush Campus
Midlothian - City
- Post code
- EH25 9RG
Background
Pam Wiener has an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from the University of Virginia (USA) and a PhD in Biological Sciences from Stanford University (USA), where she applied mathematical models to investigate evolutionary processes. Following postdoctoral fellowships at Emory University (USA) and the University of Warwick, she joined the Roslin Institute. She was appointed Career Track Fellow in 2011 and Group Leader in 2015.
Her research involves the application of population and quantitative genetics techniques to the study of domesticated animals, with the aims of improving understanding of the domestication and breed development processes, unravelling the genetic architecture of production and disease-related traits and contributing to the implementation of selection schemes for improved animal health and welfare. She has developed methods for detection of selection signatures and applied them in a range of species, including cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens and dogs. She has also used linkage and association mapping techniques to detect genomic regions associated with animal production, behaviour and disease-related traits.
Research summary
Application of population and quantitative genetic approaches to dissect the genetic basis of phenotypic traits in domesticated animal species and to analyze the processes of domestication and breed development.
Current research interests
Our research focuses on the genetics of domesticated animals. This involves the application of population and quantitative genetic approaches to dissect the genetic basis of phenotypic traits and to improve understanding of domestication and breed development. We also exploit the wealth of historical information on domesticated species to develop and improve methods of analysis, which can be applied to a variety of species.Dissection of the genetic basis of phenotypic traits in domesticated animals: We are concerned with improving our understanding of complex traits, those influenced by multiple genes as well as environmental factors, and then using this understanding to improve strategies for management of livestock and companion animals. Most recently, we have been investigating hip dysplasia in dogs, a common disease with polygenic inheritance. This study is one of the first applications of genomic evaluation (the use of high-density markers for calculating breeding values) in companion animals, where our research suggests this may be an important breeding tool for improvement of health-related traits. We have also been dissecting factors that influence behavioural traits in dogs, using a combination of multivariate statistics, quantitative and population genetics and genomics approaches.Improvement of understanding of domestication, breed development and commercialisation processes: We apply population genetics approaches to the study of domestication and breed development in various domesticated animal species. We also use domesticated animals as test cases with which the performance of different statistical methods can be compared in terms of their characterisation of population structure and assignment of individuals to population origin.-
Genetic differentiation following recent domestication events: a study of farmed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) populations
In:
Evolutionary Applications
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Accepted/In press) -
Author Correction: A cattle graph genome incorporating global breed diversity
In:
Nature Communications, vol. 13
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30372-x
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
A cattle graph genome incorporating global breed diversity
In:
Nature Communications, vol. 13
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Genome-wide association studies for canine hip dysplasia in single and multiple populations – implications and potential novel risk loci
In:
BMC Genomics, vol. 22
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-021-07945-z
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Whole-genome sequence data suggests environmental adaptation of Ethiopian sheep populations
In:
Genome Biology and Evolution
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evab014
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Methods to improve joint genetic evaluation of canine hip dysplasia across BVA/KC and FCI screening schemes
In:
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00386
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Development and Validation of an Open Access Snp Array for Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
In:
G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.120.401343
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Unravelling selection signatures in a single dog breed suggests recent selection for morphological and behavioural traits
In:
Advanced Genetics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ggn2.10024
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Selection signatures for high-altitude adaptation in ruminants
In:
Animal Genetics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12900
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Genetic dissection of complex behaviour traits in German Shepherd dogs
In:
Heredity, vol. 123, pp. 746-758
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-019-0275-2
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print)