partners > UnivBris

University of Bristol, Department of Social Medicine, Bristol

Expertise of the organisation

The University of Bristol is a world leader in research and a member of the Worldwide Universities Network and of the Russell Group of universities. The Department of Social Medicine is a leading centre for research and training in epidemiology (including molecular and genetic epidemiology), public health and health services research. It was awarded the top 6* grade in the 2001 UK Research Assessment Exercise. From September 2007, the department will launch the recently-awarded MRC Centre for Causal Analyses for Translational Epidemiology (CAiTE), led by Professor Davey Smith. The Department houses the premier birth cohort study, ALSPAC and a large number of other general population studies.

ALSPAC is a prospective cohort study of around 14,000 children born between April 1991 and December 1992. Detailed information has been collected from pregnancy onwards using self administered questionnaires, data extraction from medical notes and at hands on clinics. Biological samples have been collected since pregnancy and a DNA and cell lines bank has been created. The wealth of information collected from before birth and continued through childhood across biological, social and psychological dimensions makes this the most comprehensive and detailed prospective study of pregnancy, infancy and childhood ever undertaken. ALSPAC has published over 270 papers in peer reviewed journals (http://www.alspac.bris.ac.uk).

Role in the project

This partner will provide human tissue specimens and body fluids from a mother-child cohort an will conduct statistical analyses of case-control studies to assess whether measures of cumulative endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure are associated with the risk of developing cryptorchidisms and/or hypospadias

Key persons involved

   
Group leader, Dr Susan Ring . BSc in Genetics ( University of Sheffield), PhD in Genetics ( University of London). Molecular biologist and experience of establishing biological samples, DNA and cell line banks for cohort studies. Previous posts: research associate, University of Bristol (1992-1996), Research Associate, North Bristol NHS Trust (1996- 2002), Research Fellow University of Bristol (2002-2006), Co-Director of ALSPAC and Head of ALSPAC Laboratory since 2006.
     
   
Dr John Henderson MD, Co Director of ALSPAC
   
   
Amanda Carmichael, BSc, Biosamples manager
   
   
Dr Paul Snell, Data Manager
   
   
   

 

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