Dr George Wiggins, Our people, University of Otago, Christchurch

Research Fellow

MSc, PhD (Otago)

Email george.wiggins@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 364 0557

Research Interests

Dr George Wiggins is currently investigating the impact of germline copy number variation on endometrial cancer risk.

Affiliations

Otago Profile

Skiing, socialising with work mates, and great research opportunities are all reasons George Wiggins recommends postgraduate study at the UOC.
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Publications

Stylianou, C. E., Wiggins, G. A. R., Lau, V. L., Dennis, J., Shelling, A. N., Wilson, M., Sykes, P., … Pearson, J., & Walker, L. C. (2024). Germline copy number variants and endometrial cancer risk. Human Genetics. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s00439-024-02707-9 Journal - Research Article

Davidson, A., Morley-Bunker, A., Wiggins, G., Walker, L., Harris, G., Mukundan, R., & kConFab Investigators. (2024). Deep learning segmentation of chromogenic dye RNAscope from breast cancer tissue. Journal of Imaging Informatics in Medicine. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s10278-024-01301-9 Journal - Research Article

Burgess, E. R., Praditi, C., Phillips, E., Vissers, M. C. M., Robinson, B. A., Dachs, G. U., & Wiggins, G. A. R. (2024). Role of sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter-2 and ascorbate in regulating the hypoxic pathway in cultured glioblastoma cells. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, e30658. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/jcb.30658 Journal - Research Article

Parsons, M. T., de la Hoya, M., Richardson, M. E., Tudini, E., Anderson, M., Berkofsky-Fessler, W., … Wiggins, G. A. R., … Walker, L. C., … Spurdle, A. B. (2024). Evidence-based recommendations for gene-specific ACMG/AMP variant classification from the ClinGen ENIGMA BRCA1 and BRCA2 Variant Curation Expert Panel. American Journal of Human Genetics, 111(9), 2044-2058. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.07.013 Journal - Research Article

Davidson, A., Morley-Bunker, A., Wiggins, G., Walker, L., Harris, G., Mukundan, R., & kConFab Investigators. (2024). Grey level texture features for segmentation of chromogenic dye RNAscope from breast cancer tissue. In R. Su, Y.-D. Zhang & A. F. Frangi (Eds.), International Conference on Medical Imaging and Computer-Aided Diagnosis (MICAD 2023): Lecture notes in electrical engineering (Vol. 1166). (pp. 72-82). Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-97-1335-6_7 Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

2024

Journal - Research Article

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

2023

Journal - Research Article

Walker, L. C., de la Hoya, M., Wiggins, G. A. R., Lindy, A., Vincent, L. M., Parsons, M. T., … & ClinGen Sequence Variant Interpretation Working Group. (2023). Using the ACMG/AMP framework to capture evidence related to predicted and observed impact on splicing: Recommendations from the ClinGen SVI Splicing Subgroup. American Journal of Human Genetics, 110(7), 1046-1067. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2023.06.002

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Praditi, C., Dachs, G., Bozonet, S., Pearson, J. A., Wiggins, G., & Vissers, M. (2023). The role of ascorbate in the activation of hypoxic response in breast cancer cell lines. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NZSBMB) 50th Anniversary Conference. Retrieved from https://www.nzsbmb.org/conference

Wiggins, G. (2023). Modifiers of BRCA1-associated breast cancer risk and potential preventative strategies [Invited]. Proceedings of the Genetics Otago (GO) Annual Symposium & Workshops. Retrieved from https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/go

2022

Journal - Research Article

Hakkaart, C., Pearson, J. F., Marquart, L., Dennis, J., Wiggins, G. A. R., Barnes, D. R., Robinson, B. A., Mace, P. D., … Walker, L. C. (2022). Copy number variants as modifiers of breast cancer risk for BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers. Communications Biology, 5, 1061. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-03978-6

Crake, R. L. I., Burgess, E. R., Wiggins, G. A. R., Magon, N. J., Das, A. B., Vissers, M. C. M., Morrin, H. R., Royds, J. A., Slatter, T. L., Robinson, B. A., Phillips, E., & Dachs, G. U. (2022). Ascorbate content of clinical glioma tissues is related to tumour grade and to global levels of 5-hydroxymethyl cytosine. Scientific Reports, 12, 14845. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-19032-8

Burgess, E. R., Crake, R. L. I., Phillips, E., Morrin, H. R., Royds, J. A., Slatter, T. L., Wiggins, G. A. R., Vissers, M. C. M., Robinson, B. A., & Dachs, G. U. (2022). Increased ascorbate content of glioblastoma is associated with a suppressed hypoxic response and improved patient survival. Frontiers in Oncology, 12, 829524. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.829524

2021

Journal - Research Article

Morley-Bunker, A. E., Wiggins, G. A. R., Currie, M. J., Morrin, H. R., Whitehead, M. R., Eglinton, T., Pearson, J., & Walker, L. C. (2021). RNAscope compatibility with image analysis platforms for the quantification of tissue-based colorectal cancer biomarkers in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Acta Histochemica, 123, 151765. doi: 10.1016/j.acthis.2021.151765

Wiggins, G. A. R., Black, M. A., Dunbier, A., Morley-Bunker, A. E., kConFab Investigators, Pearson, J. F., & Walker, L. C. (2021). Increased gene expression variability in BRCA1-associated and basal-like breast tumours. Breast Cancer Research & Treatment, 189, 363-375. doi: 10.1007/s10549-021-06328-y

Wiggins, G. A. R., Black, M. A., Dunbier, A., Merriman, T. R., Pearson, J. F., & Walker, L. C. (2021). Variable expression quantitative trait loci analysis of breast cancer risk variants. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 7192. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-86690-5

McDougall, L. I., Powell, R. M., Ratajska, M., Lynch-Sutherland, C. F., Hossain, S. M., Wiggins, G. A. R., … Motwani, J., Macaulay, E. C., Reid, G., Walker, L. C., … Eccles, M. R. (2021). Differential expression of BARD1 isoforms in melanoma. Genes, 12(2), 320. doi: 10.3390/genes12020320

2020

Journal - Research Other

Wiggins, G. A. R., Walker, L. C., & Pearson, J. F. (2020). Genome-wide gene expression analyses of BRCA1- and BRCA2-associated breast and ovarian tumours. Cancers, 12(10), 3015. doi: 10.3390/cancers12103015

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Wiggins, G., Pearson, J., Black, M., Dunbier, A., Merriman, T., & Walker, L. (2020). Variable expression quantitative trait loci analysis of breast cancer risk variants. New Zealand Medical Journal, 133(1524), (pp. 145). Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Awarded Doctoral Degree

Wiggins, G. A. R. (2020). Gene expression variability in breast tumour development (PhD). University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/10587

2019

Journal - Research Article

Walker, L. C., Lattimore, V. L., Kvist, A., Kleiblova, P., Zemankova, P., de Jong, L., Wiggins, G. A. R., Hakkaart, C., Cree, S. L., … Kennedy, M. A., … de la Hoya, M. (2019). Comprehensive assessment of BARD1 messenger ribonucleic acid splicing with implications for variant classification. Frontiers in Genetics, 10, 1139. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01139

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Wiggins, G. (2019). Expression variability is associated with breast tumour subtype. Proceedings of the University of Otago Student Research Symposium: Te Wānaka Rakahau: Ākoka. Retrieved from https://www.otago.ac.nz/graduate-research

2018

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Wiggins, G., Pearson, J., Black, M., Dunbier, A., & Walker, L. (2018). Expression variability is associated with breast tumour subtype. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society for Oncology (NZSO) Conference. Retrieved from http://www.nzsoncology.org.nz/

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Wiggins, G., Pearson, J., Black, M., Dunbier, A., & Walker, L. (2018, August). Expression variability is associated with breast tumour subtype. Poster session presented at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Queenstown, New Zealand.

2017

Journal - Research Article

de Jong, L. C., Cree, S., Lattimore, V., Wiggins, G. A. R., Spurdle, A. B., kConFab Investigators, Miller, A., Kennedy, M. A., & Walker, L. C. (2017). Nanopore sequencing of full-length BRCA1 mRNA transcripts reveals co-occurrence of known exon skipping events. Breast Cancer Research, 19, 127. doi: 10.1186/s13058-017-0919-1

Walker, L. C., Pearson, J. F., Wiggins, G. A. R., Giles, G. G., Hopper, J. L., & Southey, M. C. (2017). Increased genomic burden of germline copy number variants is associated with early onset breast cancer: Australian breast cancer family registry. Breast Cancer Research, 19, 30. doi: 10.1186/s13058-017-0825-6

Walker, L. C., Marquart, L., Pearson, J. F., Wiggins, G. A. R., O'Mara, T. A., Parsons, M. T., … Spurdle, A. B. (2017). Evaluation of copy-number variants as modifiers of breast and ovarian cancer risk for BRCA1 pathogenic variant carriers. European Journal of Human Genetics, 25, 432-438. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2016.203

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Pearson, J. F., Wiggins, G. A. R., Black, M., Dunbier, A., & Walker, L. C. (2017). Expression variability is associated with breast cancer tumour subtype. Proceedings of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting. 746. Retrieved from http://www.ashg.org/2017meeting/

2016

Journal - Research Article

Wiggins, G., & Legge, M. (2016). Cyclic variation of cellular clock proteins in the mouse estrous ovary. Journal of Reproduction & Infertility, 17(4), 192-198.

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Wiggins, G. A. R., Pearson, J., Dunbier, A., Black, M., & Walker, L. (2016, August-September). Gene expression variability in breast tumours. Verbal presentation at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Nelson, New Zealand.

2015

Journal - Research Article

Walker, L. C., Wiggins, G. A. R., & Pearson, J. F. (2015). The role of constitutional copy number variants in breast cancer. Microarrays, 4(3), 407-423. doi: 10.3390/microarrays4030407

2014

Journal - Research Article

Chen, A., Beetham, H., Black, M. A., Priya, R., Telford, B. J., Guest, J., Wiggins, G. A. R., Godwin, T. D., … Guilford, P. J. (2014). E-cadherin loss alters cytoskeletal organization and adhesion in non-malignant breast cells but is insufficient to induce an epithelial-mesenchymal transition. BMC Cancer, 14, 552. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-552

2013

Journal - Research Article

Willson, J. S. B., Godwin, T. D., Wiggins, G. A. R., Guilford, P. J., & McCall, J. L. (2013). Primary hepatocellular neoplasms in a MODY3 family with a novel HNF1A germline mutation. Journal of Hepatology, 59(4), 904-907. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2013.05.024

2011

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Wiggins, G., & Legge, M. (2011, September). Investigation of a molecular clock in mouse ovaries. Poster session presented at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Queenstown, New Zealand.