Laura Marianne Huckins, MEng ACGI

PhD Student

Alumni

This person is a member of Sanger Institute Alumni.

My research at the Sanger Institute focuses on Psychiatric Genetics, with a specific focus on the genetics and genomics underlying Anorexia Nervosa (AN). This has encompassed genome-wide studies to identify variants conferring increased risk of AN, functional models of putatively associated genes using a mutant mouse model, and a study of environmental factors involved in AN using methylation sequencing. As well as this, I have been involved in software and method development, with a focus on understanding psychiatric comorbidity and genetic heterogeneity. I am committed to the cause of gender equality, and particularly the issue of women in science. It seems to me that women are underrepresented in these fields due to systemic bias and discrimination throughout our lives, with causes ranging all the way from chemistry sets being sold as “toys for boys”, to a lack of female role models at the upper echelons of science. To counter this, I have taken part in a range of programs to further gender equality both at the Sanger Institute and at Cambridge University, as well as helping to promote science to children, and in particular girls, from the ages of 4-12.

My timeline

• Handed in my Thesis! "The Genetic and Genomic Landscape of Anorexia Nervosa"

• Wellcome Genome Campus award for Best Practice in Supporting Women in Science.

• Young Investigator Award, European Society for Human Genetics, June 2014 LM Huckins, KS Mitchell, L Thornton, WTCCC3 Consortium, GCAN Consortium, DA Collier, PF Sullivan, CM Bulik, E Zeggini. “Polygenic risk score analysis shows shared genetic aetiology between AN and five other psychiatric disorders”.

• Sanger Early Career Innovation Award, 2013-2014 Laura M. Huckins, “Elucidating epigenetic and environmental factors underlying anorexia nervosa”

• Oon, Lander and Treherne Scholarship Scholarship Laura M. Huckins “The identification and functional investigation of genes associated with eating disorders”

• Best student presentation, eSCAMPS: EBI-Sanger-Cambridge PhD Symposium 2013 LM Huckins, KS Mitchell, L Thornton, WTCCC3 Consortium, GCAN Consortium, PF Sullivan, CM Bulik, E Zeggini “Probing psychological strata using comorbid endophenotypes in anorexia nervosa”

• MRC strategic skills award Laura M. Huckins, Darren Logan “The identification and functional investigation of genes associated with eating disorders”

• Oon, Lander and Treherne Scholarship Scholarship Laura M. Huckins “The identification and functional investigation of genes associated with eating disorders”