Complex Trait Genomics

The Complex Trait Genomics of Diabetes group is a multidisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Exeter Medical School.

Its research has two broad aims:

First, to identify the variants in the human genome responsible for common diseases and traits, with a focus on cardiometabolic diseases. These include type 2 diabetes, and its key features, insulin secretion and resistance; obesity; growth (including fetal growth), female reproductive lifespan (including age at menopause) and cancers which are associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Second, to use human genetics to help understand the biology of these diseases.

Approaches include Mendelian randomization, functional genomics and bioinformatics, stratified heritability analysis, fine-mapping, recall-by-genotype studies with the help of the Exeter 10,000 research volunteers and the NIHR National BioResource, and the use of genetic scores to help dissect disease heterogeneity.

Complex Trait Genomics - People

Name	Role
Professor Inês Barroso	Professor of Diabetes
Professor Tim Frayling	Professor of Human Genetics
Associate Professor Mike Weedon	Associate Professor of Bioinformatics
Professor Anna Murray	Professor in Human Genetics
Professor Caroline Wright	Professor in Genomic Medicine
Associate Professor Mattia Frontini	Associate Professor of Cell Biology and BHF Research Fellow
Professor Chrissie Thirwell	Mireille Gillings Professor of Cancer Genomics
Dr Andrew Wood	Senrior Lecturer in Computational and Statistical Genetics
Dr Rachel Freathy	Associate Professor and Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow
Dr Nick Owens	Lecturer in Data Science and AI
Dr Hanieh Yaghootkar	Diabetes UK RD Lawrence Research Fellow
Dr Jess Tyrell	Senior Lecturer
Dr Ji Chen	Research Fellow
Dr Gareth Hawkes	Research Fellow
Dr Robin Beaumont	Research Fellow
Dr Francesco Casanova	Research Fellow
Dr Susan Martin	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr Kate Ruth	Research Fellow
Brandon Lim	Graduate Research Assistant

Publications

Please find a selection of the group's key and landmark papers below. Full publications lists are available on individual biographies:

Exome Sequencing Identifies Genes and Gene Sets Contributing to Severe Childhood Obesity, Linking PHIP Variants to Repressed POMC Transcription

Uganda Genome Resource Enables Insights into Population History and Genomic Discovery in Africa

A Common Allele in FGF21 Associated with Sugar Intake Is Associated with Body Shape, Lower Total Body-Fat Percentage, and Higher Blood Pressure

A genome-wide association study implicates multiple mechanisms influencing raised urinary albumin-creatinine ratio.

The molecular logic of Nanog-induced self-renewal in mouse embryonic stem cells

A Genome-Wide Association Study of IVGTT-Based Measures of First-Phase Insulin Secretion Refines the Underlying Physiology of Type 2 Diabetes Variants.