Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic ScienceAffiliated Principal Investigators are scientists working in the broader local biomedical community who have a clear and long term scientific relationship with the IMS-MRL.
The status is renewable every 3 years and so long as scientific relationships with the Institute remain strong.
Affiliated PIs:
Click on an affiliated PI photo to view their profile page.
Catherine’s group investigates the mechanisms by which suboptimal nutrition in early life can affect reproductive ageing, the impact of this on population health and effects across generations. Catherine is an Academic Clinical Lecturer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Gemma is a Biochemist and lecturer in Biomedical Science at Anglia Ruskin University. Her research group focuses on insulin resistance and investigating the therapeutic potential of antibodies to treat severe insulin resistance arising from mutations of the insulin receptor. The wider interests of the group include understanding the (patho)physiological role of hybrid insulin/IGF receptors in insulin resistance and resultant co-morbidities.
Patrick Chinnery is a Wellcome Principal Research Fellow, Professor of Neurology and Head of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences. His laboratory research group is based in the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit and studies the role of mitochondrial DNA in rare and common diseases. His linked clinical research programme is developing new treatments for mitochondrial disorders.
Anne Ferguson-Smith is the current Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and the Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on three themes: (i) stem cells and the epigenetic programme ii) functional genomics and epigenomics, and (iii) the interaction between the environment and development, health & disease within and across generations.
Dino Giussani is the Professor of Developmental Cardiovascular Physiology & Medicine at the Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience at the School of Biological Sciences. The Giussani Lab is interested in the effects of adverse pregnancy in programming a future cardiovascular risk in the offspring. The lab is expert in cardiovascular phenotyping in large (sheep) and small (rat, mouse, chicken embryo) animal models combining vivo techniques (surgically prepared long-term preparations; echocardiography) with research at the isolated organ (Langendorff preparations, in vitro wire myography), cellular and molecular levels.
Gavin is Head of the Epigenetics Programme at the Babraham Institute. His group currently focuses on understanding how epigenetic states are established in mammalian germ cells and early embryos, and the effects of ageing and diet on the integrity of epigenetic information and its transmission to the next generation.
Theresa is Director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit. Her group aim to improve population health and reduce health inequalities by developing interventions to reduce consumption of food, alcohol and tobacco. They want to change behaviour by altering environments rather than minds.
Mike is based at the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit and is Professor of Mitochondrial Redox Biology at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on the roles of reactive oxygen species in mitochondrial function and pathology. In particular he has pioneered the targeting of bioactive and probe molecules to mitochondria in vivo. Recently his work has extended to determining the mechanism by which mitochondria.
Eleanor is a veterinary surgeon and a lecturer in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience. Her group aims to understand how genes are linked to obesity in both dogs and humans, to reveal mechanistic links and identify targets to improve obesity prevention and treatment.
Amanda’s group aims to better understand the aetiology of various pregnancy complications and developmental processes, including the environmental and genetic control of placental morphogenesis and function. Amanda is a lecturer in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience.
Alison is a scientist who designs novel Magnetic Resonance (MR) methods and biomarkers, and uses MR in team science collaborations with an ambition to answer key questions in metabolic health. Alison is based within the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge.
