PhD Programme at Wellcome Trust Cenre for Human Genetics. (360G-Wellcome-083323_Z_07_Z)

Understanding the molecular basis of common, complex diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and depression is a major challenge for medical research in the 21st century. Despite an enormous investment in genomic resources, progress has been slow. It is now clear that tackling common disease will require the collection of large samples (because the genetic effects are subtle), the application of complex analytical techniques (because of the interaction between genes and between genes and environment), and an understanding of gene function (in order to interpret the findings of the genetic analyses and to bring them into the clinic). We are now beginning to see that the conjunction of high throughput genotyping technologies and appropriate analysis will bear fruit: whole genome association studies, in which hundreds of thousands of molecular markers are genotyped on thousands of individuals, are identifying some of the susceptibility genes underlying common disease. Studies now underway (such as the UK Biobank) pave the way to answering fundamental questions in epidemiology and disease aetiology: how and why populations differ in their spectrum of disease-variants; how these variants interact with environmental causes; how information about DNA sequence variants, gene expression and protein content relates to disease phenotype; how we can use this flood of new molecular information to arrive at improved definitions of disease that lend themselves to better diagnosis and treatment. The proposed course exploits the internationally recognized strengths in genetics, statistics and epidemiology in Oxford and gains added value by integration with existing programmes. Last year, two world leading research centres began a process of integration, following the opening of the Richard Doll building next to the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics. The Richard Doll building (which consists of the University's Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit, Cancer Research UK Epidemiology Unit and part of the Department of Public Health) contains scientists who have pioneered the design and interpretation of large-scale randomised clinical trials that provide observational evidence to investigate the causes, prevention and treatment of premature death and disability in developed and developing countries.