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Research Focus
My PhD is focused on the potential of pharmacogenetic testing to guide the prescription of psychotropic drugs (antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilisers). I am particularly interested in genetic variation in the cytochrome P450 family of enzymes, and how this contributes to differences in therapeutic response and severity of side effects experienced by patients. I began my PhD in February 2018 and am funded by the Medical Research Council. My supervisors are Professor Elvira Bramon, Professor Andrew McQuillin and Dr Johan Thygesen.
Projects
- I am using UK Biobank data to investigate the impact of genetic variation in the cytochrome P450 enzymes on antipsychotic and antidepressant drug response.
- I am in the process of setting up a clinical study that aims to recruit 420 participants to assess the potential benefit of pharmacogenetic testing for patients who are prescribed antipsychotics or antidepressants.
Key publications
- Calafato, M. S., Austin-Zimmerman, I., Thygesen, J. H., … others. (2020). The effect of CYP2D6 variation on antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Pharmacogenomics Journal, 1–9.