Chris Spencer
Dr, Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow
As a statistical geneticist I'm interested in a diverse range of problems, from population genetics to association analysis of clinical phenotypes. My work currently has a focus on African genetics and susceptibility to malaria which is conducted within the MalariaGEN consortium. I’m also interested in using genetics to improve health and healthcare via stratified medicine, currently in the context of hepatitis C infection, as part of the STOP-HCV consortium.
To facilitate analysis across phenotypes and populations we are developing and applying new methodology. We hope to quantify the role that infectious diseases have had on shaping our immune system and physiology through natural selection. By inferring the genetic determinants of host-parasite interactions we aim to better understand the underlying biology and to use the information to target prevention and treatment of disease.