Twin research

Twin research provides a powerful method of improving research methodology. It optimises resources and reduces costs. We believe twin research must become a well-understood feature of the health and medical researcher’s toolkit.

Our research in twin designs currently explores:

• intervention studies where a pair of twins are randomly allocated a treatment
• longitudinal studies featuring twins, which will reach conclusions about our general population and examine issues relevant to twins
• research that quantifies the role of genetic and environmental causes of variation in disease susceptibility. 

Twins offer special, but rarely explored advantages for clinical trial and intervention studies. Their unique matching for age, sex, genes, physiology, and environment, among other factors,offers us an opportunity to overcome research obstacles that have arisen in other areas.

We provide guidance as to how the unique features of twin designs can help overcome these obstacles and we also conduct valuable research for the twin community.

Our work will empower researchers in Australia, and worldwide, to address major health challenges experienced by the whole population.

Internal collaborators

• Susan Carrick (Project Node Leader)
• Associate Professor Paulo Ferreira
• Associate Professor Paul Lancaster
• Professor Stephen Simpson

External collaborators

• Professor Brian Byrne, University of New England
• Professor John Hopper, University of Melbourne
• Professor Craig Jeffrey, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
• Professor David Mackey, Lions Eye Institute