Dr Catherine John
Supervisor Details
Contact Details
catherine.john@leicester.ac.uk
Research Interests
I am a clinical academic in public health and genetic epidemiology. The overarching aim of my research is to better understand genetic and environmental drivers of health and disease, particularly lung function, and thereby to identify ways to help people maintain better lung health in future.
I lead genetic association studies using genotype and sequencing data, with a strong track record in using electronic health records to enable well-powered studies of traits that are otherwise difficult to study. This included the first genetic association study to use electronic health records to study thyroid hormone levels, which more than doubled the number of genetic variants implicated in thyroid function, and showed the relevance of our findings across diverse populations.
I am Principal Investigator of the EXCEED study, a cohort of over 11,000 adults from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, which aims to uncover environmental and genetic determinants of health and disease. I was also a founding co-investigator of UK-REACH, a, ethnically diverse cohort of healthcare workers founded during the COVID-19 pandemic which now focuses on health and wellbeing of those working in the NHS.
Other key interests include development of genomic research capacity in low and middle-income settings (particularly sub-Saharan Africa), representation of underserved communities and effective public engagement in health data science.
MIBTP Project Details
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Co-supervisor on a project / projects with supervisor name + link.