Dr Peter Dixon
When and where did you do your scientific training?
I was interested in genetics from a young(-ish) age and following a BSc from the University of Reading came to Imperial to take a PhD in the genetics of bone and mineral disorders.
What made you focus on OC?
After finishing my PhD I worked with Catherine [Williamson] for a few months helping her start setting up the OC project and the first genetic studies. Following other genetic research at UCL and time at Harvard and Singapore I decided to come back to Imperial and rejoin Catherine’s group on a short-term basis. That was over five years ago...
What has your research found so far?
Our first genetic study (published in 2000) identified the genetic cause of OC for the first time in an 'isolated' case of OC – in other words a patient with no family history of the disease. Follow-up work from our group and others confirmed these findings, but it was quickly realised that this kind of genetic alteration caused OC only rarely. Since my return to the group in 2004 we have focused our genetic studies on identifying more common 'population risk' gene variants that will contribute to OC susceptibility in large numbers of patients. We recently identified a variant genetic form of a liver bile salt transporter that increases risk of getting OC (published earlier this year in Gut).
Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
Hopefully our work will lead to identification of more genetic risk factors for OC which can be combined with other information such as serum profiling to identify which women are at risk before the onset of the disease. I am also hopeful that work I am currently involved in looking at the placenta will identify potential new treatment options.
Do you ever find time to relax?
When not in the lab or at my computer, try looking for me on my snowboard in the Alps.
