Robin Walters

MA, PhD, PgDip

Associate Professor, MRC PHRU

Dr Robin Walters completed degrees in Natural Sciences (Cambridge) and in Genetics (Liverpool) before working for 17 years on the biophysics, biochemistry and genetics of plant photosynthesis, first in Sheffield and then in Oxford. He then held a post as a Research Fellow at Imperial College London, before moving to CTSU in June 2012.

Dr Walters’s recent research has focussed on investigating the contribution of structural variation in the human genome to disease risk and phenotypic variation, with a particular focus on diabetes and obesity. He played a leading role in work identifying the highly penetrant obesity phenotype associated with a deletion on chromosome 16p, and the reciprocal effects of a duplication at the same locus.

He continues to have an interest in the development of novel methodologies for the identification and analysis of genomic structural variants. His current role is to plan and lead the genetic analysis of stroke risk in the China Kadoorie Biobank.

Recent publications

A large-scale genome-wide association analysis of lung function in the Chinese population identifies novel loci and highlights shared genetic etiology with obesity.
Journal article

Zhu Z. et al, (2021), Eur Respir J
Spicy food consumption and risk of gastrointestinal-tract cancers: findings from the China Kadoorie Biobank.
Journal article

Chan WC. et al, (2021), Int J Epidemiol
Author Correction: Genome-wide association study of intracranial aneurysms identifies 17 risk loci and genetic overlap with clinical risk factors.
Journal article

Bakker MK. et al, (2020), Nat Genet
Associations of Adiposity, Circulating Protein Biomarkers, and Risk of Major Vascular Diseases.
Journal article

Pang Y. et al, (2020), JAMA Cardiol
Genome-wide association study of intracranial aneurysms identifies 17 risk loci and genetic overlap with clinical risk factors.
Journal article

Bakker MK. et al, (2020), Nat Genet