Bit about me

I am a clinician-researcher based at the Integrating Genomics into Medicine group and at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. My research is informed by my clinical experience as a genetic counsellor, where I support families undergoing genetic testing, provide genetic risk assessments, and assist families cope and adjust to their genetic diagnosis.

My research focuses on the implementation of genomic technologies in healthcare, with expertise in polygenic risk (PGS). My current research projects include:

• Developing educational modules on PGS for healthcare providers

• Evaluating the impact of providing PGS on health behaviour and patient reported outcomes

• Establishing pathways for laboratory accreditation of PGS tests in Australia

• Developing a framework to increase participation of diverse communities in genomic research 

• Mainstreaming genomic testing for peadiatric healthcare, with a focus on inborn errors of immunity

Awards & Recognition

My research has been recognised through multiple awards including:

• Best Oral Presentation, Health Living Stream, The University of Queensland Early Career Researcher Symposium, 2022

• Rising Star Award, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, 2021

• Rising Star Award, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, 2021

• Best ELPAG Oral Presentation, European Society of Human Genetics, Virtual Meeting, 2021

• Runner-up Best Oral Presentation Translational Cancer Research Network Symposium, 2018  

• Best Student Oral Presentation, International Meeting on Psychosocial Impact of Hereditary Cancer, Malaysia, 2017

Grants & Funding

• 2022 – 2026  EL1 Investigator Grant, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Developing a co-designed toolkit for polygenic risk scores implementation 

• 2023 - 2024 UQ Amplify Women's Academic Research Equity (UQ Aware Program)

• 2022 – 2025 CI Genomics Health Futures Mission, TRIAGE: A disease agnostic computational and modelling platform to accelerate variant  classification

• 2022 – 2024 CI Genomics Health Futures Mission, Preparing Australia for use of genomics in prevention of heart-disease: Focus on South Asian Australians

• 2022 – 2023 CI Australian Genomics Health Alliance Genomic Implementation Project Grant, Establishing an Australia pathway to accreditation and clinical reporting for Polygenic Risk Scores

• 2020 – 2021 CIA, Early Career Research Grant Australian Skin and Skin Cancer Research Centre, Implementing polygenic risk scores for familial melanoma

• 2017 – 2019 Postgraduate scholarship National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

• 2017 – 2019 Postgraduate top-up scholarship National Breast Cancer Foundation

Selected Publications

Reviews, position statements and practice resources (for a full list of publications see my UQ Profile and ORDiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3905-3025)

1. Young, M., Yanes, T., Cust, A., Dunlop, K., Limb, S., Newson, A., . . . Steinberg, J. (2023). Human Genetics Society of Australasia Position Statement: Use of Polygenic Scores in Clinical Practice and Population Health. Twin Research and Human Genetics. doi:10.1017/thg.2023.10

2. Wand H., Kalia S., Helm B., Suckiel S., Brockman D.,Vriesen N., Goudar R., Austin J., Yanes T., (2023) Clinical genetic counseling and translation considerations for polygenic scores in personalized risk assessments: A Practice Resource from the National Society of Genetic Counselors. Journal of Genetic Counselling. doi.org/10.1002/jgc4.1668.

3. Yanes, T., McInerney-Leo, A., Law, M., Cummings, S. (2020) The emerging field of polygenic risk scores and perspective for use in clinical care. Human Molecular Genetic, doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa136

4. Yanes T, Young, MA., Meiser, B and James, PA. (2020) Clinical applications of polygenic breast cancer risk: a critical review and perspectives of an emerging field. Breast Cancer Research. doi: 10.1186/s13058-020-01260-3.

Original research:

1. Yanes, T,. Wallingford, C., Young, MA., McInerney-Leo, A.M., Willis, A., McKnight, L., Terrill, B., McInerny, S.,Forrest, L., Cicciarelli L., Williams, R., Keane, H., James, P.A. (2024) Development and evaluation of a novel educational program for providers on the use of polygenic risk scores. Genetics in Medicine.

2. Yanes, T., Sullivan, A., Barbaro, P., Brion, K., Holloway, G., Peake, J., McNaughton, P., (2023) Evaluation and pilot testing of a multidisciplinary model of care to mainstream genomic testing for paediatric inborn errors of immunity. European Journal of Human Genetics. doi: 10.1038/s41431-023-01321-z.

3. Yanes T, Meiser B., Kaur R., Young MA., Mitchel B.B ., Scheepers-Joynt M., McInerny S., Taylor S., Barlow-Stewart K., Antill Y., Salmon L., Smyth C., Betz-Stablein B., James P.A., (2021) Breast cancer polygenic risk scores: A 12-month prospective study of patient reported outcomes measures and risk management behavior. Genetics in Medicine. doi:10.1038/s41436-021-01288-6.

4. Das Gupta, K., Gregory, G., Meiser, B., Kaur, R., Scheepers-Joynt, M., McInerny, S., Taylor, S., Barlow-Stewart, K., Antill, Y., Salmon, L., Smyth, C., McInerney-Leo, A., Young, MA., James, PA. and Yanes, T (2021). Communicating polygenic risk scores in the familial breast cancer clinic. Patient Education and Counseling. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2021.02.046

5. Yanes, T, Meiser, B, Kaur, R, Scheepers‐Joynt, M, McInerny, S, Taylor, S, Barlow‐Stewart, K, Antill, Y, Salmon, L, Smyth, C, Young, MA and James, PA. (2019) Uptake of polygenic risk information among women at increased risk of breast cancer. Clinical Genetics. doi: 10.1111/cge.13687