University of Oxford | Identifying Complex Disease Genes in Humans
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have resulted in an unprecedented wealth of information on the genetic basis of complex diseases. Lists of known genes and genetic variants associated with diseases, such as type II diabetes, Crohn’s disease and numerous psychiatric disorders, are expanding rapidly. Using genotype and phenotype data from multiple model organisms, along with a large number of functional genomics datasets, we will investigate the characteristics of the genes and variants that predispose to complex disease. Along the way we will answer important questions such as: Whether equivalent (orthologous) genes in rodents and humans contribute to equivalent phenotypes/diseases? Whether mouse knockout phenotypes are relevant to complex diseases of smaller effect sizes? And, whether it is not single alleles, but rather allelic combinations, that often predispose individuals to specific diseases?
The successful candidate will join an internationally-recognised research group that has provided key contributions to human, mouse, rat and other genome projects, and that has published widely on subjects as diverse as copy number variants, long non-coding RNAs, and rapidly evolving protein-coding genes.
Candidates should be interested in the applications of genomics in medicine, and should have some proficiency in, or enthusiasm for, computational and/or statistical approaches.
Funding Notes
MRC studentships are only available to applicants who reside (or have residency) within the UK or EU. Subject to this the financial package may include all or some of the following: MRC maintenance stipend, Approved University fees, Research Training Support Grant. Funding start date is 2010.
Successful candidates also require acceptance by University of Oxford so please refer to the University of Oxford Graduate Students pages for details of eligibility (http://admin.ox.ac.uk/postgraduate).
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