Dr Judy Ford

Dr Judy Ford joined the University of South Australia in March 2006 in a new position of Research Education Adviser for Science, Engineering and Technology. Her role is to provide services and resources for higher degree students through university-wide on campus and online advisory services and resources.

Judy brings considerable research experience to the position. After completing her PhD thesis in Plant Cytogenetics and Post Doctoral work in Developmental Biology, she worked in the field of Human Genetics for 30 years. Her work involved the development and administration of diagnostic services in Human Cytogenetics as well as Research. She has published over 80 peer reviewed papers, edited several special editions of books and conference proceedings and won many research grants. Her work started with a focus on cell division and cellular function but later moved into the effects of lifestyle and environment on health. She is particularly interested in the interactions between genes and lifestyle on health outcomes. The details of Judy's publications and previous appointments can be found on her personal website. After 20 years directing a Hospital Department, in 1995 Judy set up her own Genetics Company through which she gained considerable business experience. The Company closed in 2000 after merging its activities with other Companies.

In 2001, the Investigator Science Centre named Dr Judy Ford as one of the 14 key SA Science Innovators of the 20th Century for her work on lifestyle and reproduction. She has studied miscarriage from many different aspects: she started with experiments on cells, moved on to perform extensive studies on miscarried embryos and then in conjunction with Professor Tony McMichael undertook a very large prospective study on lifestyle and reproduction. Judy is an expert on the causes of miscarriage . She has developed an on-line questionnaire that generates a Personal Report for couples who are planning a pregnancy and wish to avoid problems.

From 2001 to 2006 Judy worked full time as a Health Communicator and Consultant and then one day each week from 2006 to 2008. She now spends a few hours on weekends maintaining her online services. Judy has published three books for a lay audience 'It Takes Two: Reproducing Naturally Today', 'GLOW: Principles of Healthy Ageing' and 'Build sperm with attitude'. These books are also available from her websites as e-books together with four other e-books 'Know your enemy: strengthen yourself against cancer', 'Making love & babies', 'How to interpret a temperature chart' and 'Starting your family after 35'. Judy has recently expanded her information sites to share her concepts of natural solutions to fertility problems with couples in the USA, UK, South Africa and New Zealand. Judy has spoken extensively to business and community audiences. She now uses her speaking experience to teach communication skills. She is also often called on as a Genetics Expert.

In addition to her academic qualifications and considerable speaking and media experience, Judy has formal qualifications in Photography and Radio production. She uses this knowledge and personal experience to teach postgraduate students how to communicate through the media.

Judy has recently taken up oil painting and has found a new perspective of the world and her future.

• Planning and Managing Research
• Optimising the PhD Experience
• Healthy Behaviour and Habits that optimise Work Performance
• Communicating research through writing, speaking, public media and the Internet. Together with Dr Jackie Cook, from the School of Communication, Judy currently holds a UniSA Teaching & Learning Development grant to support the expansion of her work in the communication of research to the public.

Australian Association of Science Communicators

Australasian Society Human Biology

Bachelor Science, First Class Honours in Genetics, University of Sydney, 1967

Ph.D in Genetics, University of Sydney, 1971

Executive Diploma Business Planning, Enterprise Workshop, 1994

Diploma, Australian Institute Company Director's Course (University of New England), 1995

Certificate in Photography, Sydney Technical College 1967

Certificate III in Broadcasting (Radio), Radio 101.5, University of Adelaide, 2002

• Understanding the critical changes that underlie ageing, especially with relevance to reproduction and cancer.
• The effect of nutrition and lifestyle on health (especially reproductive health), stress and intellectual performance.
• The interaction of genes and chromosomes (both inherited genetic information and genetic damage acquired through exposures to chemicals and radiation) with the environment/lifestyle in health and disease. I am particularly interested in identifying avoidable occupational exposures.

Ford JH & Tavendale R (2009) Analysis of fatty acids in early mid-life in fertile women: implications for reproductive decline and other chronic health problems. Am J Hum Biol (in the press)

Of about 90 journal publications, the following selection of papers are currently most cited & contribute to a Hirsch (H) factor of 19.

Ford JH, Schultz CJ, Correll AT (1988) Chromosome elimination in micronuclei: a common cause of hypodiploidy. Am J Hum Genet 43: 733-740 (Citations 71)

Han TL, Ford JH, Webb GC, Flaherty SP, Correll A, Matthews CD. (1993) Simultaneous detection of X- and Y-bearing human sperm by double fluorescence in situ hybridization. Mol Reprod Dev. 34(3):308-13. (Citations 65)

Han TL, Webb GC, Flaherty SP, Correll A, Matthews CD, Ford JH. (1992) Detection of chromosome 17- and X-bearing human spermatozoa using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Mol Reprod Dev. 33(2):189-94 (Citations 50)

Handford CA, Lynch JW, Baker E, Webb GC, Ford JH, Sutherland GR, Schofield PR. (1996) The human glycine receptor beta subunit: primary structure, functional characterisation and chromosomal localisation of the human and murine genes. Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 35(1-2):211-9. (Citations 48)

Callen DF & Ford JH (1983) Chromosome abnormalities in chronic lymphocytic leukemia revealed by TPA as a mitogen. Cancer Genet & Cytogenet 10: 87-93 (Citations 42)

Han TH, Ford JH, Flaherty SP, Webb GC, Matthews CD. (1994) A fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis of the chromosome constitution of ejaculated sperm in a 47,XYY male. Clin Genet. 45(2):67-70. (Citations 37)

Ford JH & Lester P (1982) Chromosomal variants and nondisjuction. Cytogenetics & Cell Genetics 21: 300-303 (Citations 36)

Ford JH, Russell JA. (1985) Differences in the error mechanisms affecting sex and autosomal chromosomes in women of different ages within the reproductive age group. Am J Hum Genet. 37(5):973-83. (Citations 35)

Ford JH & Lester P (1978) Factors affecting human chromosome displacement from the metaphase plate. Cytogenetics & Cell Genetics 33: 327-332 (Citations 30)

Ford JH, Pittman SM, Singh S, Wass EJ, Vincent PC, Gunz FW (1973) Cytogenetic basis of acute myeloid leukemia. J. Natl Cancer Instit. 55: 761-765 (Citations 25)

Han TL, Flaherty SP, Ford JH, Matthews CD. (1993) Detection of X- and Y-bearing human spermatozoa after motile sperm isolation by swim-up. Fertil Steril.;60(6):1046-51. (Citations 22)

Ford JH (1984) Spindle microtubular dysfunction in mothers of Down syndrome children. Human Genetics 68: 295-298 (Citations: 21)

Callen DF, Dale BM, Sage RE, Ford JH (1985) A complex translocation in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Cancer Genet & Cytogenet 16: 45-48 (Citations 21)

Gregson NM, Seabright M, Ford JH, Jahnke AB (1983) Handling chorionic villi for direct chromosome studies. Lancet 322: 1491-1492 (Citations 20)

Ford JH, MacCormac L, Hiller J. (1994) PALS (pregnancy and lifestyle study): association between occupational and environmental exposure to chemicals and reproductive outcome. Mutat Res. 313(2-3):153-64. (Citations 19)

Ford JH, Wilkin HZ, Thomas P, McCarthy C. (1996) A 13-year cytogenetic study of spontaneous abortion: clinical applications of testing. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 36(3):314-8. (Citations 19)

Cheffins T, Chan A, Haan EA, Ranieri E, Ryall RG, Keana RJ, Byron-Scott R, Scott H, Gjerde EM, Nguyen AM, Ford JH, Sykes S (2000) The impact of maternal serum screening on the birth prevalence of Down’s syndrome and the use of amniocentesis in South Australia Brit J Obstet Gynaecol 107: 1453-1459 (Citations 19)

Ford JH, MacCormac L. (1995) Pregnancy and lifestyle study: the long-term use of the contraceptive pill and the risk of age-related miscarriage. Hum Reprod. 10(6):1397-402. (Citations 19)

Webb GC, Vaska VL, Gali RR, Ford JH, Board PG. (1995) The gene encoding human glutathione synthetase (GSS) maps to the long arm of chromosome 20 at band 11.2. Genomics: 30(3):617-9. (Citations 19)

Books & Edited books

Joint Editor of Special Issue of Mutation Research in Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis vol. 396/1,2 “Overlap between Mutagens and Teratogens”, Guest Editors: LR Ferguson, JH Ford & JB Bishop (1997)

Joint Editor of Special issue of Cytobios, Vol 43, Nos. 172-174S “Chromosomes in Division” Guest Editors: JH Ford & GB Peters (1985)

Book: Ford JH: "Build sperm with attitude", 2006, Environmental & Genetic Solutions

Book: Ford JH: "G-L-O-W: Principles of Healthy Ageing", 2001, Environmental & Genetic Solutions

Book: Ford JH: “it takes two: reproducing naturally to-day", 1997, Environmental & Genetic Solutions

I am able to provide media comment in the following areas of expertise:

Discipline: health sciences

• Genetics
• Genes and Lifestyle
• Research education
• Chemical toxicity
• Infertility and Miscarriage
• Age and ageing