Expert Details

Behavioural and Molecular Genetics, Circadian Biology, Neurodegeneration, Statistics

ID: 729794 United Kingdom

Request Expert

Expert's main line of research is in behavioural neurogenetics, particularly circadian rhythms, and Huntington's disease. He uses transgenic animal models (Drosophila, mice) and the main thrust is in understanding the molecular basis of these phenotypes. The circadian work is aimed at medical intervention for the 25% of the working population that works shifts, and has serious health problems that shorten lifespan, with the ultimate aim of developing drugs to counter internal temporal desynchronisation. The Huntington's disease work is also aimed at finding drug targets to alleviate the symptoms of the disease. The work involves statistical analysis, molecular genetics, basic transmission genetics, mutational processes in clock genes and neurobiology. Expert also has experience in transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of circadian rhythms, and further expertise is also in comparative and evolutionary approaches to clocks. This includes population and ecological analyses of clock gene frequencies in nature that can be used as biomarkers for global warming.

He was involved in defending a patent over several years for Glaxo.He was involved as a consultant for planning new developments at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories in New York.

Education

Year Degree Subject Institution
Year: 1973 Degree: BSc Subject: Psychology Institution: University of Birmingham
Year: 1978 Degree: PhD Subject: Behavioural and Population Genetics Institution: University of Sheffield

Work History

Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1984 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Professor of Behavioural Genetics Department: Genetics
Responsibilities:
His responsibilities include teaching genetics (evolutionary, developmental, medical) to both biological science and medical students. He also runs a large research laboratory. He has also been Head of Department.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1981 to 1984 Employer: University of Edinburgh Title: Research Fellow Department: Psychology
Responsibilities:
He ran an independent research laboratory.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1978 to 1981 Employer: Brandeis University Title: Postdoctoral Fellow Department: Biology
Responsibilities:
He was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr Jeffrey Hall
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1976 to 1978 Employer: University of Edinburgh Title: University Demonstrator Department: Psychology
Responsibilities:
His main responsibility was teaching Psychology to undergraduates as well as maintaining his research laboratory.

International Experience

Years Country / Region Summary
Years: 1991 to 2011 Country / Region: Italy Summary: Visiting professor, University of Padova,
Years: 1995 to 1995 Country / Region: Italy Summary: Visiting Professor, University of Lecce
Years: 2001 to 2010 Country / Region: USA Summary: Visiting Professor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, New York

Career Accomplishments

Associations / Societies
Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences since 2000;
Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Fellow 2002-2007;
Society for Research in Biological Rhythms - Associate Editor of Society Journal;
Behavior Genetics Association - Associate Editor of Journal;
Genetical Society of Great Britain;
Genetical Society of USA.
Professional Appointments
Editor of Journals of Biological Rhythms and Behavior Genetics;
Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship Committee.
Awards / Recognition
Aschoff's Rule 1998- award of Society of Research in Biological Rhythms for outstanding achievement.
Publications and Patents Summary
He has over 100 primary publications, many in the very best general journals, and about 50 reviews. He also regularly writes for the Times Higher Educational Supplement.

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
He has been used as an expert in a number of patent law cases, where his statistical skills were used to successfully defend a patent.
Training / Seminars
Expert has give a huge number of invited seminars all over the world in the last 35 years as well as a number of specialised international postgraduate courses in the USA, Italy and India.
Marketing Experience
Expert has been mostly involved as an expert in patent defence.
Other Relevant Experience
He is frequently asked to appear on TV and radio programmes discussing various scientific issues, including more ethical/moral dilemma, such as the teaching of creationism in schools.

Language Skills

Language Proficiency
Greek He was a native Greek speaker before learning English. His Greek is still passable
Italia He can get by
French He can get by
English

Fields of Expertise

animal disease model, disease, drug discovery, eukaryotic gene, gene characterization, genetic disease, genetic mutation process, genetics, genotype, heredity, Huntington disease, molecular biology, molecular genetics, transgenic animal

Request Expert

Dev Tool:

Request: expert/behavioural-and-molecular-genetics-circadian-biology-neurodegeneration-statistics
Matched Rewrite Rule: expert/([^/]+)(?:/([0-9]+))?/?$
Matched Rewrite Query: experts=behavioural-and-molecular-genetics-circadian-biology-neurodegeneration-statistics&page=
Loaded Template: single-experts.php