Geoff Chambers

Victoria University of Wellington · School of Biological Sciences

Crime is a social problem faced by all communities and ranges from property loss or damage to violent events such as murder and robbery. Crime trends are associated with many factors including mental health, unemployment rates, educational status and policing strategies. In this article, we provide property crime datasets for Malaysia from 2007 to...

Garnering support from multiple stakeholders to increase the number or size of protected areas remains a key challenge for wildlife conservation efforts in Malaysia. Human–wildlife conflict often arises when local socio-economic development compromises wildlife survival due to negative landscape changes. It is essential to assess both human–wildlif...

The Austronesian Diaspora is a 5,000-year account of how a small group of Taiwanese farmers expanded to occupy territories reaching halfway around the world. Reconstructing their detailed history has spawned many academic contests across many disciplines. An outline orthodox version has eventually emerged but still leaves many unanswered questions....

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious threat to human health. Governments worldwide have put urgent measures in place to deal with this threat. Considerable experiences have been gained during this process, and they have gone a long way towards developing effective management strategies to control the spread of the coronavirus. Nonetheless, it is impo...

New data on several COVID-19 infection parameters are slowly beginning to emerge which include the relative frequencies of symptomatic versus asymptomatic individuals positive for COVID-19, individual variation in response to re-purposed drug treatments, prognostic factors for developing severe COVID-19 and genetic risk factors for COVID-19 sus...

The NZ Law Commission Report 144 The use of DNA in criminal Investigations (NZLC R144) proposes a framework for improved regulation of DNA profiling practice in New Zealand (see Box 1 for a timeline of actions). Their central claim is that the existing legislation, Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Act 1995, is no longer fit for purpose. Spe...

DNA profiling of X-chromosomal short tandem repeats (X-STR) has exceptional value in criminal investigations, especially for complex kinship and incest cases. In this study, Investigator® Argus X-12 Quality Sensor (QS) kits were successfully used to characterize 12 X-STR loci in 199 unrelated healthy Kedayan individuals living in Sabah and Sarawak,...

Introduction: Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is an autosomal recessive disorder that causes accumulation of iron in circulating blood and organs. The disease is associated with H63D, S65C and C282Y variants of the haemo-chromatosis (HFE) gene and, if not treated can cause organ damage and may prove fatal. The main objectives of the present survey...

This review aims to present contemporary scholarship relating to Orang Asli in the context of their ancestral relationships. Its begins by drawing a clear picture of present-day Orang Asli groups in Peninsular Malaysia, followed by a synthetic account of Orang Asli ancestry that emerges from the fields of archaeology, anthropology, linguistics and...

The Buller’s albatross species complex is composed of two asynchronously breeding subspecies, the Northern Buller’s albatross (Thalassarche bulleri platei) and Southern Buller’s albatross (Thalassarche bulleri bulleri). The aim of this study was to test for genetic differentiation between Northern and Southern Buller’s albatross and to reassess gen...

The success of DNA profiling using long-term stored samples depends on the amount and quality of their recovered DNA templates. Physical and biochemical factors such as microbial activity, humidity and temperature contribute to DNA degradation. In this study, we used genomic DNA extracted from buccal cell samples that were stored for more than 4 ye...

Background Blood group antigens are immunogenic polymorphic molecules presented on the surface of RBCs. This study aimed to determine extended blood group profiles (ABO, Rhesus, Kell, Kidd, Duffy, MNS, Cartwright, Dombrock, Colton, Lutheran, and Vel) in Malays, Chinese, and Indians in Peninsular Malaysia. Results Here, ABO Type O, DCCee, MNs, and...

Background: DNA profiling has proven to be a valuable technique for identification of individuals in crime. Currently, the technique targets several short tandem repeat (STR) regions in human genome. However, increasing number of samples submitted for STR analysis may lead to delays due to the limited number of experienced analysts who might be ava...

Science and technology are extensively used in criminal investigation. From the mid-to late-1980s, one of the scientific discoveries that has had a particularly remarkable impact on this field has been the use of highly variable DNA sequence regions (minisatellites) in the human genome for individual identification. The technique was initially refe...

[This corrects the article on p. 493 in vol. 40.].

Objectives: Blood bank centres routinely screen for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to ensure the safety of blood supply and thus prevent dissemination of these viruses via blood transfusion. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the detection of transfusion-transmitted infection (TTI...

In this study, 268 samples for unrelated males belonging to the five major human subpopulation groups in Ghana (Akan, Ewe, Mole-Dagbon, Ga-Dangme and Guang) were genetically characterised for 23 Y chromosome short tandem repeat (STR) loci using the Powerplex® Y23 STR kit. A total of 263 complete haplotypes were recorded of which 258 were unique. Th...

Genetic polymorphisms at 23 Y chromosome short tandem repeat (STRs) loci included in the Powerplex® Y23 PCR kit were successfully scored in 128 unrelated Kedayan individuals living in Sabah, East Malaysia. Complete haplotypes were recorded for all individuals and included 92 different types with 72 being unique to single male subjects. Three import...

Taxonomic information for New Zealand mosquito species is predominantly morphological with very few molecular data available to date. In this study, the mitochondrial COI gene and nuclear ITS1 were amplified and sequenced from DNA templates representing 17 species; 15 previously known New Zealand species, a newly discovered undescribed Aedes specie...

This data article provides population frequencies for 21 autosomal and two sex determining short tandem repeat (STR) loci in unrelated Kedayan individuals. This article is related to the research paper entitled “Forensic parameters and ancestral fraction in the Kedayan population inferred using 21 autosomal STR loci” [1] where these same data were...

Short tandem repeat (STR) loci are widely used as genetic marker for ancestral and forensic analyses. The latter application includes for paternity testing and DNA profiling of samples collected from scenes of crime and suspects. This survey provides the first dataset for 21 STR loci across the Akan population in Ghana by genotyping of 109 unrelate...

Few population groups in Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak) have been genetically characterized. No study has ever been done on the Kedayan population. In this project, genetic polymorphism was measured at 21 autosomal STR loci in 200 unrelated Kedayan individuals living in Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia and their forensic statistics calculated. We also compa...

This paper provides the first complete overview of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) variation across Austronesian populations as a whole and includes the effects of admixture along the migration path during their 5,000 year diaspora. We show that intermarriage has shifted allele frequencies in migrant peoples from those found in their original pure Au...

Short repetitive regions in autosomal and Y chromosomes known as short tandem repeats (STRs) are currently used for DNA profiling in crime investigations. However, DNA profiling requires a sufficient quality and quantity of DNA template, which is often not obtained from trace evidence or degraded biological samples collected at the scene of a crime...

ProvideD novel Y-STR data for Kedayan and our extensive search in scholarly databases show that this is the first molecular genetic survey conducted on this Austronesian population.

Background: Human neutrophil antigens (HNAs) are implicated in several clinical disorders and their allelic variations have been reported for many populations. This new study was aimed to report the genotype and alleles frequencies of HNA-1, -3, -4 and -5 loci in Malays, Chinese and Indians in Peninsular Malaysia. Methods: A total of 222 blood s...

This article provides violent crime data in Malaysia from 2006 to 2017. The violent crimes include murder, rape, gang robbery, robbery and voluntarily causing hurt cases. A total of 330,395 violent crime cases were reported in this 12 year period and the data were tabulated state by state for all thirteen states of Malaysia, including two states in...

The Forensic DNA Databank of Malaysia (FDDM) was officially established in December 2015 following the enactment of the Malaysian DNA Identification and DNA Identification Regulation Acts in 2009 and 2012, respectively. In this review, we highlight, for the first time, our experiences during the development of FDDM that now contains nearly 75,00...

In this study, 268 samples for unrelated males belonging to the five major human subpopulation groups in Ghana (Akan, Ewe, Mole-Dagbon, Ga-Dangme and Guang) were genetically characterised for 23 Y chromosome short tandem repeat (STR) loci using the Powerplex® Y23 STR kit. A total of 263 complete haplotypes were recorded of which 258 were unique. Th...

A review of contemporary evidence relating to the settlement of Borneo

Objective - This study is a comprehensive account of contemporary knowledge concerning pre-historic communities in Sabah and Sarawak based on newly available evidence from genomic and archaeological research. Methodology/Technique - The data presented in this review was obtained from primary literature including recent reports on several Neolithic...

Objective - This study is a comprehensive account of contemporary knowledge concerning pre-historic communities in Sabah and Sarawak based on newly available evidence from genomic and archaeological research. Methodology/Technique – The data presented in this review was obtained from primary literature including recent reports on several Neolith...

Groundwater is a major source of New Zealand's water supply and supports baseflows in rivers. Microbial communities in groundwater ecosystems mediate biogeochemical processes, and it is therefore crucial to understand microbial diversity in these ecosystems. We analysed bacterial assemblages from 35 New Zealand groundwater monitoring sites with var...

Accounts of ancient settlements in Borneo including Sabah and Sarawak are informed by modern analyses of human genomes and archaeological specimens. The region was first occupied by the common ancestors of Australian Aborigines and Papuans in the late Pleistocene, before the arrival of Neolithic farming populations 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. This la...

Transfusion procedures are always complicated by potential genetic mismatching between donor and recipient. Compatibility is determined by several major antigens, such as the ABO and Rhesus blood groups. Matching for other blood groups (Kell, Kidd, Duffy, and MNS), human platelet antigens, and human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) also contributes toward...

Between 2002 and 2011, Buller's albatrosses (Thalassarche bulleri bulleri and T. b. platei) accounted for 34% of albatross interactions in New Zealand trawl fisheries. However, the relative impact of commercial fisheries on each taxon is uncertain as identifying individuals by morphology is challenging. The aim of this research was to develop a gen...

Over the past 20 years, conservation efforts in New Zealand have moved from being concentrated in rural and isolated island locations, where exotic mammalian predators are often controlled, to begin to bring native fauna back to major cities. However, human–wildlife conflicts arise when conservation occurs in close proximity to cities. These are pa...

Abstract For the last thirty years at least social constructionist and biologically realist views of human races have been presented as mutually exclusive alternatives. Surprisingly, this debate has its recent origins in work on blood group population genetics. A finding that the greater part of human genetic variation lies within populations rathe...

Information about genetic ancestry has a great value in health studies and other related areas of expertise such as anthropology, forensics and pharmacogenomics. In this review, we highlight several aspects of health that can be significantly improved by better understanding of genetic ancestry. These observations were made possible based on our ow...

Genome-wide Association Studies are carried out on a large number of genetic variants in a large number of people, allowing the detection of small genetic effects that are associated with a trait. Natural variation of genotypes within populations means that any particular sample from the population may not represent the true genotype frequencies wi...

[This paper has been retracted]

This article explores the genetic history of the various sub-populations currently living in Peninsular Malaysia. This region has received multiple waves of migrants like the Orang Asli in prehistoric times and the Chinese, Indians, Europeans and Arabs during historic times. There are three highly distinct lineages that make up the Orang Asli; Sema...

Cytokines are involved in immune responses and the pathogenesis of various diseases. Allelic variations within the genes coding for various ∼ 30kDa cytokine protein/glycoproteins have been reported for many populations and have been the subjects of many ancestry and health analyses. In this study, we typed 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)...

We are now moving towards the new era of personalised medicine. In prospect, a DNA-tailored healthcare system will utilise genomic information from patients and populations for the prevention and treatment of diseases. This near-future medicine recognises that there is already evidence of genetic disparity between people of different ethnicity. Our...

Miles C Benton and Shani Stuart are joint first authors. BACKGROUND:The Pacific Oceania region was one of the last regions of the world to be settled via human migration. Here we outline a settlement of this region that has given rise to a uniquely admixed population. The current Norfolk Island population has arisen from a small number of founders...

Cyanoramphus parakeets are a key biogeographic element of the Pacific. Many of these parakeets are, however, endangered, with ongoing conservation management hampered by the unresolved taxonomic status of some populations. We used modern and ancient DNA (mitochondrial DNA control region) to assess the taxonomy of the Auckland Islands populations of...

The aboriginal populations of Peninsular Malaysia, also known as Orang Asli (OA), comprise three major groups; Semang, Senoi and Proto-Malays. Here, we analyzed for the first time KIR gene polymorphisms for 167 OA individuals, including those from four smallest OA subgroups (Che Wong, Orang Kanaq, Lanoh and Kensiu) using polymerase chain reaction-s...

Located in the Pacific Ocean between Australia and New Zealand, the unique population isolate of Norfolk Island has been shown to exhibit increased prevalence of metabolic disorders (type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease) compared to mainland Australia. We investigated this well-established genetic isolate, utilising its unique genomic structure...

Multiphenotype genome-wide association studies (GWAS) may reveal pleiotropic genes, which would remain undetected using single phenotype analyses. Analysis of large pedigrees offers the added advantage of more accurately assessing trait heritability, which can help prioritise genetically influenced phenotypes for GWAS analysis. In this study we per...

This research note reports on the first stage of a larger project in which we investigate the potential ways in which interdisciplinary approaches to important questions of identity and belonging can harness both existing data and emerging alternative information sources. Measures of identity are fundamental to social and health sciences, but often...

Transplantation and transfusion are related and clinically important areas of multidisciplinary expertise, including pre-operative treatment, donor recruitment, tissue matching, and post-operative care. We have seen significant developments in these areas, especially in the late 20th and early 21st century. This paper reviews the latest advances in...

The major aims of this study are to characterise and compile allelic data of human platelet antigen (HPA)-1 to -6 and -15 systems in five Malay sub-ethnic groups in Peninsular Malaysia. HPAs are polymorphic glycoproteins expressed on the surface of platelet membranes and are genetically differentiated across ethnogeographically unrelated population...

Human neutrophil antigens (HNA) are polymorphic and immunogenic proteins involved in the pathogenesis of neonatal alloimmune neutropenia, transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) and transfusion-related alloimmune neutropenia. The characterisation of HNA at a population level is important for predicting the risk of alloimmunisation associated...