MRC Human Genetics Unit

**MRC Human Genetics Unit**
Founded	1967
Location	Edinburgh, UK
Director	Professor W Bickmore;
Website	http://www.ed.ac.uk/mrc-human-genetics-unit

The Medical Research Council (UK) Human Genetics Unit is situated at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. It is one of the largest MRC research establishments, housing over two hundred scientists, support staff, research fellows, PhD students, and visiting workers.

Staff

As of 2018^[update] current and former staff at the MRC HGU include:^[1]

Directors

1956–1969 Dr Michael Court Brown^{[citation needed]}
1969–1994 Professor John Evans^{[citation needed]}
1994–2015 Professor Nicholas Hastie
2015– Professor Wendy Bickmore

Group leaders

Sections

The Human Genetics Unit is divided into three sections:

Biomedical Genomics -Research harnesses the power of large genome-size and population data to reveal the complex nature of disease processes. Section Head: Professor Chris Ponting

Genome Regulation -Research focuses on mechanisms that maintain the stability of the genome between cells and between generations, regulate the expression of genes and how changes to these contribute to disease. Section Head: Professor Javier Caceres

Disease Mechanisms -Research aims to understand how changes in our genomes cause disease by studying patients and families as well as model organisms. Joint Section Heads: Professor David FitzPatrick and Professor Ian Jackson

Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM)

In 2007 the Human Genetics Unit formed a partnership with two neighbouring research centres on the Western General Hospital campus, the Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine (University of Edinburgh) and the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre (Cancer Research UK), to create the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine. The Human Genetics Unit officially became part of the University of Edinburgh in 2011. The three partner centres comprising the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine were linked with a new building in 2015.