Rare disorders studied

• Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy
• Marfan syndrome
• Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation
• Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration

 

Biographical information

Allison Gregory completed her undergraduate work at Stanford University in Human Biology and received a Master’s in Human Genetics from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University.  She has been a board certified genetic counselor since 1996.  Ms. Gregory worked in prenatal diagnosis for several years in southern California before joining OHSU in 2002.  She currently serves as a research instructor in the department of Molecular & Medical Genetics.  Ms. Gregory has worked in the Hayflick Laboratory for 6 years studying the group of disorders called Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA). 

 

Research interests

As a member of the Hayflick Laboratory, I have studied various aspects of Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation since 2002.  Because of my clinical background in genetic counseling, my contributions are mainly related to our work with affected individuals and their families.  I help design and coordinate our clinical research studies, manage IRB communication and documentation, maintain patient research registries, assist with grant writing and other scientific writing, and provide support and information to NBIA families and related advocacy groups.  In recent years, major projects have included bringing 16 individuals with pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) to our campus for 2-day stays involving a battery of tests and describing the clinical features and natural history of infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) following our discovery of the PLA2G6 gene in 2006.  I also collaborate with other members of the RDRC on projects involving the Marfan syndrome and Huntington disease.

 

Rare disorders activities

Invited lecturer, “Third International NBIA Disorders Family Conference,” (2007) Cincinnati, OH

Invited lecturer, "Fourth International NBIA Disorders Family Conference," (2009) Indianapolis, IN

Board member, Hope's Hope (www.hopes-hope.org)

 

Online reviews and articles of interest

• Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (GeneReview)
• Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (GeneReview)
• Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (Orpha.net)
• Morgan NV, Westaway SK, Morton JE, et al. PLA2G6, encoding a phospholipase A(2), is mutated in neurodegenerative disorders with high brain iron. Nat Genet 2006;38(7):752-4

• Gregory A, Westaway  SK, Holm IE, et al. Neurodegeneration associated with genetic defects in phospholipase A2. Neurology 2008; 71(18):1402-9
  

• Gregory A, Polster BJ, Hayflick SJ. Genetic and clinical delineation of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation.  J Med Genet 2009; 46(2):73-80