Dr Gabrielle Wheway BA (Cantab), PhD, FHEA
Lecturer in Functional Genomics
Dr Gabrielle Wheway is a Lecturer in Functional Genomics within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton.
To this group I bring expertise in identification and functional characterisation of novel rare disease genes, with specific expertise in a group of rare diseases affecting multiple organs, the ciliopathies. My MRC DTA-funded PhD at Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine focussed on characterising the molecular mechanisms underlying severe neurodevelopmental and retinal ciliopathies. My post-doctoral work as part of EU FP7 Programme ‘Syscilia’ took a systems biology approach to studying the genetics and cell biology of ciliogenesis and ciliopathies. As part of this project I undertook a whole genome knockdown screen analysed by high-throughput imaging and automated image analysis, leading to identification of a number of novel disease genes and functional networks of cilia proteins.
My current work uses CRISPR cell modelling of ciliopathies in combination with high-throughput cellular phenotyping for both studies of disease mechanism and characterisation of genetic variants of unknown clinical significance. I study splicing and transcript expression in ciliopathies using RNA sequencing and computational analysis methods. My work aims to improve understanding of ciliopathies to provide patient benefits through more rapid, accurate genetic diagnosis and identification of targets for therapies.
Qualifications
BA (Hons), Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge 2007
PhD, Molecular genetics and functional characterisation of ciliopathies, University of Leeds 2011
PGCert Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, University of the West of England, Bristol 2017
Appointments held
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Leeds (2011-2015)
Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol 2916-2018.