Associate Professor
Michael Gabbett

Faculty of Health,
School of Biomedical Sciences
Biography
Michael is a clinical geneticist and QUT academic. After training in paediatric medicine in Brisbane, Michael moved to Sydney where he worked at The Children’s Hospital Westmead and Sydney Children’s Hospital. He returned to Brisbane to undertake a fellowship at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience studying laminin expression before taking up a staff specialist position at Genetic Health Queensland, where he worked for over a decade. Queensland University of Technology retained Michael to run their postgraduate degrees in Diagnostic Genomics and he is now a Chief Investigator with QUT’s Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, where he is studying the role of genomics in newborn screening. Michael is a Past President of the Australasian Association of Clinical Geneticists and currently serves on the Council Executive of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia as Treasurer. He is a well-regarded educator, having taught genetics to junior doctors, general practitioners, genetic counsellors, and nurses. For the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Michael served on the Advanced Training Committee in Clinical Genetics for over ten years and he currently sits on the Curriculum Advisory Group for the College. Michael has published extensively on the clinical features and molecular causes of rare genetic conditions.Personal details
Positions
- Associate Professor
Faculty of Health,
School of Biomedical Sciences
Keywords
Clinical genomics, Diagnostic genomics, Genetic counselling, Ethics, Education
Discipline
Genetics, Clinical Sciences, Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2008
Qualifications
- MHM (University of New South Wales)
- MMedSc(ClinEpid) (University of New South Wales)
- MBBS (University of Queensland)
Professional memberships and associations
- Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
- Associate Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators
- Executive Member (Treasurer), Human Genetics Society of Australasia
- Member and Past President, Australasian Association of Clinical Geneticists
- Member, Genomics Education Network of Australasia
- Member, Asia-Pacific Society of Human Genetics
- Member, American Society of Human Genetics
- Member, European Society of Human Genetics
Teaching
Michael has a career in education and teaching spanning two decades. He currently co-ordinates and teaches into QUT's Master of Diagnostic Genomics. Previously, he was instrumental in the redesign and delivery of Griffith University's Master of Genetic Counselling. Michael is active in the sphere of professional education of paediatricians and physicians. He currently sits on the Royal Australasia College of Physicians (RACP) Curriculum Advisory Group. He was a member of the RACP Advanced training Committee in Clinical Genetics for a number of years and held the position of RACP Regional Examiner at the Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane until the hospital's closure. Michael currently chairs the Human Genetic Society of Australasia's working party on Core Capabilities in Genomics for medical graduates.
Experience
A/Prof Michael Gabbett runs his own private medical practice, The Mendel Institute.
Selected publications
- Gabbett M, Jeavons C, Gray P, (2020) Severe hypertension-An infantile feature of Jansen metaphyseal chondrodysplasia?, American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A, 182 (4), pp. 768-772.
- Gabbett M, Laporte J, Sekar R, Nandini A, McGrath P, Sapkota Y, Jiang P, Zhang H, Burgess T, Montgomery G, Chiu R, Fisk N, (2019) Molecular support for heterogonesis resulting in sesquizygotic twinning, The New England Journal of Medicine, 380 (9), pp. 842-849.
- Newson A, Ayres S, Boyle J, Gabbett M, Nisselle A, (2018) Human Genetics Society of Australasia Position Statement: Genetic testing and personal insurance products in Australia, Twin Research and Human Genetics, 21 (6), pp. 533-537.
- Rash L, Crawford J, Ma L, Cristofori-Armstrong B, Miller D, Ru K, Baillie G, Alanay Y, Jacquinet A, Debray F, Verloes A, Shen J, Yesil G, Guler S, Yuksel A, Cleary J, Grimmond S, McGaughran J, King G, Gabbett M, Taft R, Simons C, (2015) Mutations in the voltage-gated potassium channel gene KCNH1 cause Temple-Baraitser syndrome and epilepsy, Nature Genetics, 47 (1), pp. 73-77.
- Delatycki M, Burke J, Christie L, Collins F, Gabbett M, George P, Haan E, Ioannou L, Martin N, McKenzie F, O'Leary P, Scoble-Williams N, Turner G, Massie J, (2014) Human Genetics Society of Australasia position statement: Population-based carrier screening for cystic fibrosis, Twin Research and Human Genetics, 17 (6), pp. 578-583.
- Baas A, Gabbett M, Rimac M, Kansikas M, Raphael M, Nievelstein R, Nicholls W, Offerhaus J, Bodmer D, Wernstedt A, Krabichler B, Strasser U, Nyström M, Zschocke J, Robertson S, Van Haelst M, Wimmer K, (2013) Agenesis of the corpus callosum and gray matter heterotopia in three patients with constitutional mismatch repair deficiency syndrome, European Journal of Human Genetics, 21 (1), pp. 55-61.
- Gabbett M, (2012) The oculoauriculovertebral spectrum: Refining the estimate of birth prevalence, Journal of Pediatric Genetics, 1 (2), pp. 71-77.
- Gabbett M, (2010) Future developments in newborn dried bloodspot screening. In C Driscoll & B McPherson, Newborn Screening Systems: The Complete Perspective, Plural Publishing, Inc. , pp. 157-163.
- Johnston J, Sapp J, Turner J, Amor D, Aftimos S, Aleck K, Bocian M, Bodurtha J, Cox G, Curry C, Day R, Donnai D, Field M, Fujiwara I, Gabbett M, Gal M, Graham J, Hedera P, Hennekam R, Hersh J, Hopkin R, Kayserili H, Kidd A, Kimonis V, Lin A, Lynch S, Maisenbacher M, Mansour S, Mcgaughran J, Mehta L, Murphy H, Raygada M, Robin N, Rope A, Rosenbaum K, Schaefer G, Shealy A, Smith W, Soller M, Sommer A, Stalker H, Steiner B, Stephan M, Tilstra D, Tomkins S, Trapane P, Tsai A, Van Allen M, Vasudevan P, Zabel B, Zunich J, Black G, Biesecker L, (2010) Molecular analysis expands the spectrum of phenotypes associated with GLI3 mutations, Human Mutation, 31 (10), pp. 1142-1154.
- Jacquinet A, Gérard M, Gabbett M, Rausin L, Misson J, Menten B, Mortier G, Van Maldergem L, Verloes A, Debray F, (2010) Temple-Baraitser syndrome: A rare and possibly unrecognized condition, American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A, 152A (9), pp. 2322-2326.
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Michael, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Awards
- Type
- Funding Award
- Reference year
- 2021
- Details
- Centre for Genomics & Personalised Health Innovation Grant to study the application of genomics to newborn screening.Value $45,000
- Type
- Advisor/Consultant for Industry
- Reference year
- 2020
- Details
- Provision of consultancy work to educate Queensland general practitioners, nurses and midwives in genomic medicine.
- Type
- Reviewer for an Academic Journal
- Reference year
- 2020
- Details
- Invited reviewer for:European Journal of Medical Genetics; The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health; Clinical and Experimental Dermatology; Open Access Journal of Clinical Trials; Neonatology; Journal of Paediartic Dentistry; Clinical Genetics; Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets
- Type
- Membership of Review Panels on Prestigious Grant Applications
- Reference year
- 2019
- Details
- Peer review of the Health Research Council of New Zealand annual research funding grant round
- Type
- Assessor, Examiner or Supervisor Role
- Reference year
- 2017
- Details
- Directly supervised and mentored eight individuals into the medical speciality of clinical genetics.College examiner in paediatrics 2008 - 2017Regional examiner for the Royal Children's Hospital Brisbane 2010-2017
- Type
- Committee Role/Editor or Chair of an Academic Conference
- Reference year
- 2017
- Details
- "Lead Fellow" - Chair of the Scientific Programme and Organising Committee of RACP Congress for the 2015 to the 2017 meetings.