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Kirsten Ward

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ERC Project Manager, EpiTwin project, King's College London

I am currently the Project Manager for the EpiTwin project. This project is a collaboration with the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) looking at the DNA obtained from whole blood for twins and comparing them with the patterns in their co-twin. Twin studies usually concentrate on the similarities between the twins, but for the purpose of this project, we will concentrate on the differences between twins. Initially the team will focus on obesity, diabetes, allergies, heart disease, osteoporosis and longevity.

Experience

  • 2009–present
    Quality Assurance Co-ordinator and Tutor for the Distance Learning MSc in Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • –present
    ERC Project Manager, EpiTwin project, King's College London
  • 2010–2010
    Data Analyst , King's College London
  • 2006–2009
    Research Fellow for the Cochrane Heart Group , London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • 2005–2006
    Postdoctoral researcher , Institute Pasteur de Lille
  • 2001–2002
    Clinical Scientist , LCG Biosciences
  • 2000–2001
    Grade A Clinical Scientist, The Tissue Typing Laboratory, Addenbrookes Hospital
  • 1999–2000
    Medical Technical Officer (MTO) Grade 1 , Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Addenbrookes Hospital
  • 1998–1999
    Medical Technical Officer (MTO) Grade 1 , Regional Molecular Genetics Laboratory, St.Mary’s Hospital

Education

  • 2008 
    London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Introductory Certificate in Learning & Teaching
  • 2005 
    Peninsula Medical School, PhD - ‘The molecular genetics of circulating triglycerides in health and type 2 diabetes’
  • 2005 
    Peninsula Medical School, Postgraduate Certificate of Clinical Research
  • 1998 
    Univeristy of Manchester, MSc. – Biomedical and Forensic studies in Egyptology
  • 1997 
    Nottingham Trent University, BSc 2ii (hons) – Combined Studies in Biology and Chemistry

Publications

  • 2014
    Differential Methylation of the TRPA1 Promoter In Pain Sensitivity , Nat Commun
  • 2014
    Hypermethylation in the ZBTB20 gene is associated with major depressive disorder, Genome Biology
  • 2013
    Statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
  • 2013
    Biomarkers for type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose using a non-targeted metabolomics approach, , Diabetes
  • 2013
    Dietary Advice for reducing cardiovascular risk, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
  • 2012
    DNA methylation profiling in breast cancer discordant identical twins identifies DOK7 as novel epigenetic biomarker, Carcinogenesis
  • 2011
    Multiple risk factor interventions for primary prevention of coronary heart disease, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
  • 2011
    Mendelian Randomization Studies do not Support a Role for Raised Circulating Triglyceride Levels influencing Type 2 Diabetes, Glucose Levels, or Insulin Resistance, Diabetes
  • 2009
    Metformin for obesity in children and adolescents: a systematic review, Diabetes Care
  • 2008
    Endocannabinoid receptor 1 gene variations increase risk for obesity and modulate body mass index in European populations, Human Molecular Genetics
  • 2006
    Triglyceride associated polymorphisms of the ApoA5 gene have very different allele frequencies in Pune, India compared to Europeans, BMC Medical Genetics
  • 2006
    Allelic Drop-out may occur with a primer binding site polymorphism for the commonly used RFLP assay for the -1131T>C polymorphism of the Apolipoprotein AV gene, Lipids Health Dis
  • 2003
    Genetic variants in Apolipoprotein AV alter triglyceride concentrations in pregnancy, Lipids Health Dis