Department of Ophthalmology

Based in King’s College London’s Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, the group’s  research focuses on the genetics of age-related eye diseases (myopia, glaucoma and age-related cataract), using –omics technologies including genome-wide association studies, whole-genome sequencing and epigenetics, and in particular measuring quantitative healthy variation in these traits in 3000-5000 twins.

Scientific Cooperations

• Cooperation 1:
  Prof Caroline Klaver, Prof Cornelia van Duijn and others in the Rotterdam Eye Study: myopia and glaucoma GWAS
• Cooperation 2:
  Prof David Mackey, Lions Eye Institute, Perth UWA: twin studies
• Cooperation 3:
  Dr Ananth Viswanathan and Prof Paul Mitchell, WTCCC2/Blue Mountains Eye Study cohort: glaucoma and cataract GWAS
• Cooperation 4:
  Prof Jugnoo Rahi, ICH, UCL: myopia genetics
• Cooperation 5:
  Prof Joan Bailey-Wilson, NIH: myopia GWAS
• Cooperation 6:
  Dr Fion Bremner, UCLH: pupils
• Cooperation 7:
  Dr Jelle Vehof, UMCG: dry eye
• Cooperation 8:
  Prof Terri Young, Duke University, USA: myopia genetics
• Cooperation 9:
  Prof Barbara and Ron Klein, Beaver Dam (Wisconsin): complex trait gen. epidemiology

Current Research Projects

• Project 1:
  The genetics of common age-related eye disease: NIHR Senior Research Fellowship
• Project 2:
  Rare variants in glaucoma: a whole-genome sequencing study
• Project 3:
  Cognitive, behavioural, environmental and genetic associations of myopia in the Twins Early Development Study
• Project 4:
  Identification of genetic susceptibility factors for glaucoma through analysis of large scale genotype and sequencing data
• Project 5:
  Developing electroretinogram (ERG) protocols to aid early diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration and to understand abnormal retinal function in genetic retinal diseases