Andrew Oliver Mungo Wilkie (born 14 September 1959) is a

clinical geneticist Medical genetics is the branch tics in that human genetics is a field of scientific research that may or may not apply to medicine, while medical genetics refers to the application of genetics to medical care. For example, research on the caus ...

who has been the Nuffield professor of Pathology at the University of Oxford since 2003. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from the royalsociety.org website where:

Education

Wilkie was educated at Arnold House School, Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1980 and a Master of Arts degree in 1984. He moved to

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...

, where he was awarded a

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

degree in 1983 and subsequently a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1992.

Research

Wilkie's research investigates genetic disorders affecting the skull and limbs, especially

craniosynostosis Craniosynostosis is a condition in which one or more of the fibrous sutures in a young infant's skull prematurely fuses by turning into bone (ossification), thereby changing the growth pattern of the skull. Because the skull cannot expand perpe ...

– premature fusion of the sutures of the skull. He identified the gene mutation responsible for Apert syndrome and the molecular pathways underlying this and other craniosynostosis conditions. These results have led to many clinical diagnostic tests. Wilkie's discovery that the mutation causing Apert syndrome was more common than expected led him to develop the 'selfish selection' theory, which states that there is a proliferation or survival advantage for some mutations in the testis. Over time, sperm-generating cells carrying such mutations become prevalent, explaining why some conditions are more common in children born to older fathers. Wilkie demonstrated that the Ras molecular pathway, the common factor in

paternal age effect The paternal age effect is the statistical relationship between the father's age at conception and biological effects on the child. Such effects can relate to birthweight, congenital disorders, life expectancy and psychological outcomes. A 2017 ...

conditions, is also important in the development of nerves and tumours. Consequently, his work has implications for other diseases, including

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

and cancer. His research has been funded by the

Medical Research Council (MRC) The Medical Research Council (MRC) is responsible for co-coordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is part of United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI), which came into operation 1 April 2018, and brings together t ...

. His former postdoctoral students include

Anne Goriely Anne Goriely is a Belgian geneticist who is a professor of human genetics at the University of Oxford. Her research investigates the molecular mechanisms that underpin genetic variation, particularly mutations in the male germline. Early life ...

Awards and honours

Wilkie was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) in 2002, the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) in 2006 and a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2013.

Personal life

Wilkie is the son of Douglas Robert Wilkie FRS.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkie, Andrew O. M. 1959 births Fellows of the Royal Society Members of the European Molecular Biology Organization Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences (United Kingdom) Living people