Associate Professor

University of Alaska Fairbanks
Institute of Arctic Biology
Department of Biology & Wildlife
Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR)

Irving I, Room 311
P.O. Box 757000
Fairbanks, AK 99775

office: (907)474-5486
fax: (907)474-5700
ffrp@uaf.edu

Research Interests

Expertise: Genetic statistics, bio/medical statistics, type 2 diabetes mellitus, diabetic complications

I obtained training in mathematics, applied statistics, and genetics. As a statistician, I have been involved in a variety of studies linked to the Human Genome Project. I have collaborated with researchers to search for genes of human diseases (schizophrenia, manic depression, prostate cancer) and dental diseases (ameliogenesis imperfecta, hypophosphatasia). I built genetic maps of all 23 human chromosomes and analyzed data from radiation hybrid mapping. Recently, I specialized in the genetics of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications when being a Co-Principle Investigator of the NIH funded multi-center study “Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes” (FIND) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. I intend to continue to develop new research in this field at the University of Alaska.

As the Leader of the Biostatistics and Genetic Epidemiology Core of CANHR, I am currently involved in the analysis of the data generated by CANHR and in the preparation of new grant proposals.

I am interested in the process of teaching science and new genetic research to students at schools. In San Antonio, I therefore was involved in the Project Positively Aging® (http://teachhealthk-12.uthscsa.edu/ ) that has developed curricula for middle schools.

Teaching

Courses

Principles of Human Genetics (BIOL 494)

Teaching Philosophy

1. Problem Oriented, Active Learning
In addition to lectures, students will be actively involved by working on examples while working on weekly assignments and/or doing oral/written presentations. They will need to utilize given materials and notes from lectures but also will need to search for additional material. Guidance will be given by the instructor.

2. Students Will Be Able to Understand Interdisciplinary Approaches
A major focus of my teaching will be to show the interrelationship of different research fields. For example: Students learning human genetics will deal with the basics of medical genetics and disease descriptions as well as learn about some statistical approaches, such as risk calculations and genetic linkage mapping.

3. Understanding The Historical Component of A Taught Subject
Students will come to know how ideas/approaches have been developed, and how different approaches are related to each other because of their development.

4. Learning By Being Involved In Ongoing Research Projects
Ongoing research in the institution should provide an opportunity for students to learn a new field and develop their experiences. For example, data collected in the current CANHR project can be analyzed to learn the basics of and/or specialize in genetic epidemiology.

Education

- 1974 B.S. in Mathematics & Biology (Minor), Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany
- 1978 M.S. in Mathematics & Biology (Minor), Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany
- 1986 German PhD (Dr. rer. nat.) in Genetic Statistics, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany

Positions

- 1979-84 Research Associate, Department of Biostatistics, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany - 1984-86 Lecturer Department of Biostatistics, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany
- 1986-87 Research Associate, Department of Human Genetics, Freie Universitaet Berlin
- 1987-89 Research Associate , Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salt Lake City, UT
- 1989-90 Research Associate, Center of the Study of the Human Polymorphism, Paris, France
- 1990-92 Research Associate, Department of Psychiatry/Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
- 1992-94 Research Associate, Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
- 1995-99 Assistant Professor, Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), San Antonio, TX
- 1999-2004 Assistant Professor, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, UTHSCSA, San Antonio, TX
- 2004- Associate Professor, Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology & Wildlife, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK

Current Projects

Leader of the Biostatistics & Genetic Epidemiology Core of the Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR), University of Alaska, Fairbanks (Center-PI: G. Mohatt)

The Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy in Mexican Americans (PIs: R. Plaetke & P. Pergola, UTHSCSA)

Diabetes and Diabetic Complications in Alaska Natives (PI: R Plaetke, in development)

Grants Since 1995

NIH, Saturation mapping of human chromosomes 3 and 8 (Subcontract PI, PI: S Naylor), 1995-97

NIH/NCI, Pilot study: Linkage analysis of prostate cancer families (PI), 1996–99
Institutional Research Grant/UTHSCSA, 1996–97
San Antonio Area Foundation, 1996–97

San Antonio Area Foundation, Characterization of families for a linkage study of isolated enamel defect and genes encoding enamel specific matrix proteins (Co-Principle Investigator, PI: J Hu), 1997-99

NIH/NCI, Beliefs and attitudes towards hereditary prostate cancer (Mentor, Fellowship grant for Dr. N.H. Arar), 1998–2000
San Antonio Area Foundation, 1998–99

NIH/NIA, Positively Aging (Co-Investigator, PI: M Lichtenstein), 1999-2004

NIDDK/NIH, Genetics of Diabetic Nephropathy in Mexican Americans (FIND) (Co-Principle Investigator, PI: HE Abboud), 1999-2004
San Antonio Area Foundation (PI), 1999–2000

ELSI/NIH, Cultural and Ethical Issues Associated with Genetic Family Studies (Co-Investigator, PI: NH Arar), 2001-03

NCRR/NIH, Building a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (CANHR) (Subcontract PI; PI: GV Mohatt), 2003-04
(Leader of the Biostatistics & Genetic Epidemiology Core), 2004-

Professional Service

1997 Reviewer (adhoc) in Study Section: Epidemiology and Disease Control-2, NIH

1997-2004 Member of the Institutional Review Board at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

1999-2004 Member of the Protocol Committee and Ethics Committee of the multi center study Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND)

2002-04 Member of the “Publication Committee” of FIND

2002-03 Member of the “Writing Group” of FIND – Study Design of FIND

2003 Reviewer (adhoc) in Study Section:
- Special Emphasis Panel (SNEM5-02), NIH
- Special Emphasis Panel (ZDK1 GRB-8 M1), NIH
- Biostatistical Methods and Research Design Study, Section (BMRD), NIH

Publications

Sperling K, Doerries A, Plaetke R , Struck E, Gaenge M, and Wegner R (1987): Januar 1987: Haeufung von Trisomie 21 Faellen unter den Neugeborenen Berlins, Tagungsbericht der 10. Internationalen Tagung der Sektion Zytogenetik der Gesellschaft fuer Anthropologie und Humangenetik, Hrsg.: K.D. Zang, Ann.Univ. Sarav. Med. Supplement 7/1987 (January 1987: An increase of new-borns with Down Syndrome in Berlin)

Plaetke R , Lumme J, and Koehler W (1988): Selection on recombination in subdivided populations with stabilizing selection. Hereditas 109:61-67

Odelberg SJ, Plaetke R , Eldridge JR, Ballard L, O'Connell P, Nakamura Y, Leppert M, Lalouel JM, and White R (1989): Characterization of eight VNTR loci by agarose gelelectrophorese. Genomics 5:915-924

Wolff RK, Plaetke R , Jeffreys AJ, and White R (1989): Unequal crossing over between homologous chromosomes is not the major mechanism involved in the generation of new alleles at VNTR loci. Genomics 5:382-384

Hamza M, Ayed K, Bardi R, Gebuhrer L, Betuel H, Bardin T, Plaetke R , and Lathrop M (1990): HLA-antigens in a Tunesian familial chondrocalcinosis. Disease Markers 8:109-112

Hegele R, Plaetke R , and Lalouel JM (1990): Linkage disequilibrium between DNA markers at the low density lipoprotein receptor gene. Genetic Epidemiology 7:69-82

Ward K, O'Connell P, Carey JC, Leppert M, Jolley S, Plaetke R , Ogden B, and White R (1990): Diagnosis of Neurofibromatosis I by using tightly linked flanking DNA markers. Am J Hum Genet 46:950-955

Plaetke R (1991): Statistical methods for mapping a disease susceptibility gene. Biometrie und Informatik in Medizin und Biologie 22:8-27

Plaetke R , Byerley W, and Koehler W (1991): Letter to the editor: Programs for determining prevalence, frequencies of phenocopies, penetrances for non genetic cases, and frequency of the disease gene: GET_MODEL and GET_PAR, Genetic Epidemiology 8:425-427

Emi M, Hegele RM, Hopkins PN, Wu LL, Plaetke R , Williams RR, and Lalouel JM (1991): Effects of three genetic loci in a pedigree with multiple lipoprotein phenotypes. Arteriosclerosis and Thrombosis 11:1349-1355

Waldo M, Carey G, Myles-Worsley M, Cawthra E, Adler LE, Nagamoto HT, Wender P, Byerley W, Plaetke R , and Freedman R (1991): Co-distribution of a sensory gating deficit and schizophrenia in multi-affected families. Psychiatry Research 39:257-268

Plaetke R , Bernard L, Carlson M, Jeffreys AJ, Nakamura Y, Retief AE, Warnich L, Weiffenbach B, Wood S, and White R (1992): Chromosome 5. In: A comprehensive genetic linkage map of the human genome, ed. by NIH/CEPH Collaborative Mapping Group, Science 258:67-86

Plaetke R , Weber J, Wood S, Dean M, Jeffreys AJ, Weiffenbach B, Vergneaud G, Vogelstein B, and White R (1992): Report of the second international workshop for chromosome 5: consensus genetic map. Cytogenet and Cell Genet 61:237-242

Byerley W, Plaetke R , Hoff M, Jensen S, Holik J, Reimherr F, Mellon C, Wender P, O'Connell P, and Leppert M (1992): Tyrosine Hydroxylase gene not linked to manic-depression in seven of eight pedigrees. Human Heredity 42:259-263

Hoehe MR, Plaetke R , Otterud B, Stauffer D, Holik J, Byerley WF, Baetge EE, Gershon ES, Lalouel JM, and Leppert M (1992): Genetic linkage of the human gene for phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), the adrenaline-synthesizing enzyme, to DNA markers on chromosome 17q21-q22. Human Molecular Genetics 1:175-178

Jensen S, Plaetke R , Holik J, Hoff M, O'Connell P, Reimherr F, Wender P, Freedman R, Zhou Q-Y, Litt M, Civelli O, Leppert M, and Byerley W (1992): Linkage analysis of the D1 dopamine receptor gene and manic depression in six families. Human Heredity 42:269-275

O'Connell P, Plaetke R , Barker DF, Fain PR, Kidd KK, Donis-Keller H, Skolnick M, Phillips J, Bale AE, Vergneaud G, Schwartz C, Weber JL, McBride OW, Cavalli-Sforza LL, Balazs I, Murray J, Leppert MF, Lalouel JM, and White RL (1992): Chromosome 17 In: A comprehensive genetic linkage map of the human genome, ed by NIH/CEPH Collaborative Mapping Group, Science 258:67-86

Westbrook CA , Neuman WL, McPherson J, Camper S, Wasmuth J, Plaetke R , and Williamson R (1992): Report of the second international workshop for human chromosome 5. Cytogenet and Cell Genet 61:226-231

Byerley W, Plaetke R , Hoff M, Jensen S, Leppert M, Holik J, Reimherr F, Wender P, Waldo M, Myles-Worsley M, Freedman R, and O'Connell P (1993): Tyrosine hydroxylase gene not linked to schizophrenia in 9 pedigrees. Psychiatric Genetics 3:29-31

Coon H, R Plaetke, J Holik, M Hoff, M Myles-Worsley, M Waldo, R Freedman, W Byerley (1993). Use of neurophysiological trait in linkage analysis of schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 34:277-289

Coon H, Byerley W, Holik J, Hoff M, Myles-Worsley M, Lannfelt L, Sokoloff P, Schwartz J-C, Waldo M, Freedman R, and Plaetke R (1993): Linkage analysis of schizophrenia with five dopamine receptor genes in nine pedigrees. Am J Hum Genet 52:327-334

Coon H, Jensen S, Hoff M, Holik J, Plaetke R , Reimherr F, Wender P, Leppert M, and Byerley W (1993): A genome-wide search for genes predisposing to Manic-Depression, assuming autosomal dominant inheritance. Am J Hum Genet 52:1234-1249

Gerken SC , Leppert M, O'Connell P, Cavenee W, James CD, Ballard L, Stauffer D, Elsner T, Plaetke R , Lalouel JM, and White R (1993): A genetic linkage map with 29 loci spanning human chromosome 13q. Genomics 16:515-519

Hoehe MR, Ehrenreich H, Otterud B, Caenazzo L, Zander H, Plaetke R , and Leppert M (1993): The human endothelin-1 gene encoding a peptide with potent vasoactive properties maps to HLA on chromosome 6p in close linkage to D6S89. Cytogenet and Cell Genet 62:131-135

Jensen S, Plaetke R , Holik J, Hoff M, O'Connell P, Reimherr F, Wender P, Freedman R, Zhou Q-Y, Litt M, Civelli O, Leppert M, and Byerley W (1993): Linkage analysis of schizophrenia, the D1 dopamine receptor gene and several flanking markers. Human Heredity 43:58-62

O'Connell P, Plaetke R , Matsunami N, Odelberg S, Jorde L, Chance P, Leppert M, Lalouel JM, and White R (1993): An extended genetic linkage map and an "index" map for human chromosome 17. Genomics 15:38-47

Albertsen H, Plaetke R , Ballard L, Fujimoto E, Connolly J, Lawrence E, Rodriques P, Robertson M, Bradley P, Milner B, Fuhrman D, Marks A, Sargent R, Cartwright P, Matsunami N, and White R (1994): Genetic mapping of the BRCA1 region on chromosome 17q21. Am J Hum Genet 54:516-525

Cooperative Human Linkage Center (CHLC): Murray JC, Buetow KH, Weber JL, Ludwigsen S, Scherpbier-Heddema T, Manion F, Quillen J, Sheffield VC, Sunden S, Duyk GM; GENETHON: Weissenbach J, Gyapay G, Dib C, Morrissette J, Lathrop GM, Vignal A; University of Utah: White R, Matsunami N, Gerken S, Melis R, Albertson H, Plaetke R , Odelberg S; Yale University: Ward D; and Centre d'Etude du Polymorphism Humain (CEPH): Dausset J, Cohen D, Cann H (1994): A comprehensive human linkage map with centimorgan density, Science 265:2049-2054

Plaetke R and Schachtel GA (1995): Two statistical tests for meiotic breakpoint analysis. Am J Hum Genet 56:508-518

The Utah Marker Development Group (comprised of Adamson D, Albertsen H, Ballard L, Bradley P, Carlson M, Cartwright P, Elsner T, Fuhrman D, Gerken S, Harris L, Holik PR, Kimball A, Knell J, Lawrence E, Lu J, Marks A, Matsunami N, Melis R, Milner B, Moore M, Nelson L, Odelberg S, Peters G, Plaetke R , Riley R, Robertson M, Sargent R, Staker G, Tingey A, Ward K, Zhao X, and White R (1995): A collection of ordered tetranucleotide-repeat markers from the human genome. Am J Hum Genet 57:619-628

Linn R, DuPont B, Knight CB, Plaetke R , and Leach RJ (1996): Reassignment of 92 kDa type IV collagenase (CLG4B) to human chromosome 20. Cytogenet and Cell Genet 72:159-161

Naylor SL, Carritt B, Boileau C, Beroud C, Alexander C, Allderdice P, Alimov A, Ashworth T, Bonifas J, Bugert P, Buys CHCM, Chipperfield MA, Deng G, Drabkin H, Gemmill RM, Grompe M, Joensuu T, Jonasdottir A, Gizatullin R, Krols L, Leach RJ, Lott ST, Killary A, Martinsson T, Messiaen L, O'Connell P, Opalka B, Plaetke R, Sankila E-M, Smith DI, Strachen T, van den Berg, and Zabarovsky E (1996): Report of the Sixth International Workshop on Human Chromosome 3. Cytogenet and Cell Genet 72:255-270

Cody JD, Brkanac Z, Pierce JF, Plaetke R , Ghidoni PD, Kaye CI, and Leach RJ (1997): Preferential loss of the paternal alleles in the 18q- syndrome. Am J Med Genet 69:280-286

Gay CT , Hardies LJ, Rauch RA, Lancaster JL, Plaetke R, DuPont BR, Cody JD, Herndon RC, Ghidoni PD, Schiff JM, Kaye CI, Leach RJ, and Fox PT (1997): Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrates incomplete myelination in the 18q- syndrome: Evidence for myelin basic protein haploinsufficiency. American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics) 74:422-431

Hu JC-C, Plaetke R , Mornet E, Zhang C, Sun X, Thomas HF, and Simmer JP (2000): Characterization of a family with dominant hypophosphatasia. European J Oral Science 108:189-194

Arar N, Thompson I, Sarosdy M, Harris M, Shepherd D, Troyer D, Plaetke R (2000): Risk perceptions among patients and their relatives regarding prostate cancer and its heredity. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases 3:176-185

Lichtenstein MJ, Pruski L, Marshall CE, Blalock CL, Murphy DL, Plaetke R , Lee S (2001). The Positively Aging Ò teaching materials improve middle school students' images of older people. Gerontologist 41:322-332

Plaetke R , Thompson I, Sarosdy M, Harris M, Shepherd D, Troyer D, Arar NH (2002). Genetic fieldwork for hereditary prostate cancer studies. Urologic Oncology 7:19-27

Arar NH , Plaetke R , Arar MY, Kasinath BS, Abboud HE (2002). Incorporating the contextual assessment approach to regimens employed in genetic family studies. Genetics in Medicine 4:451-464

Pruski LA, Blalock CL, Plaetke R , Murphy DL, Marshall CE, and Lichtestein MJ (2003): “Watch your mouth!” - Teaching oral health in the reading classroom. Educational Gerontology 29: 551-564

Arar NH, Hazuda HP, Plaetke R , Sartorio V, Arar MY, and Abboud HE (2003): Familial Clustering of Diabetic Nephropathy: Perception and risk recognition among Mexican-American patients with a family history of diabetes. Diabetes Spectrum 16: 136-142

Lichtenstein MJ, Pruski LA, Marshall CE, Blalock CL, Lee S, Plaetke R (2003): Sentence completion to assess children's views about aging. Gerontologist 43: 839-848

Pruski LA, Plaetke R , Blalock CL, Marshall CE, Lichtenstein MJ (2004). The Stealth Gerontology®Program - Training teachers to infuse aging and age-related topics into the public school classroom. Educational Gerontology 2004 30: 691-710

Knowler WC, Coresh J, Elston RC, Freedman BI, Iyengar S, Kimmel PL, Olson J, Plaetke R , Sedor J, Seldin MF on behalf of the Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes Rsearch Group (2005). The Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND): Design and Methods. The Journal of Diabetes and its Complications 19: 1-5

Lichtenstein MJ, Pruski LA, Marshall CE, Blalock CL, Liu Y, Plaetke R (2005). Do middle school students really have fixed images of elders? Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 60B: S37-S47

Books and/or chapters:

Plaetke R (1986). Die Entstehung von Supergenen in unterteilten Populationen - Ein theoretischer Ansatz anhand eines Zwei-Locus-Modells, M+M Wissenschaftsverlag Krefeld. Doctoral Dissertation (The evolution of supergenes in subdivided populations - a theoretical analysis of a two-locus model)

Plaetke R , Ferguson M, Klein JS, Zemmour J, Flomenberg N, and Lalouel JM (1989). Collection and processing of HLA Class II cellular data. In: Immunobiology of HLA, Vol. I, ed. by Bo Dupont, p. 449-457

Plaetke R , Lalouel JM, and Flomenberg N (1989). Statistical analysis of HLA Class II cellular data. In: Immunobiology of HLA, Vol. I, ed. by Bo Dupont, p. 458-487

Flomenberg N, Plaetke R , Zemmour J, Small TN, and Klein JS (1989). Immunogenetic analysis of HLA Class II cellular data. In: Immunobiology of HLA, Vol. I, ed. by Bo Dupont, p. 488-501

Koehler W and Plaetke R (1992): Zum Inzucht Problem in kleinen Zuchtgruppen In: Lemuren im Zoo Aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse, Artenschutz Perspektive. Ed by Hoffmann and Winkelstraeter, Parey Publ Berlin (On the problem of inbreeding in small breeding groups; review)

Schmidt E, Plaetke R , and Schachtel GA (1996): Hypothesenprüfung zur Markerkartierung mit BPA. In: Biometrie der Genomanalyse, H. Simianer, W. Koehler, K. Wegscheider (editors), Biometrische Berichte, Bd. 4, Landwirtschaftsverlag GmbH. Muenster-Hiltrup. p. 69-91. (Inference statistics for genetic mapping with BPA)

Graduate Students Wanted for a Research Assistant Position

- Statistical Analyses and/or Writing Programs for Data Analysis & Data Management -

Interdisciplinary projects for Master/PhD theses are also available in the following fields: Genetics-Statistics-Genetic Epidemiology