The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics (WTCHG) was established in 1994 to undertake research into the genetic basis of common diseases. Since June 2000 the Centre has been located in the Henry Wellcome Building of Genomic Medicine, University of Oxford.
GENETICS OF ADHD
This project is a collaboration with teams led by Prof. Susan Smalley and Prof. Stanley Nelson, of the University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
The scientific objective of the Centre is to explore all aspects of the genetic susceptibility of disease including the localisation of genes involved in common diseases, characterisation of the variants responsible for susceptibility, the understanding of how these DNA variants may contribute to risk of disease in the population and finally, how such genetic factors contribute biologically to a disease process.
The Centre houses multi-disciplinary research teams in human genetics, functional genomics, bioinformatics, statistical genetics and structural biology.
GENETICS OF ADHD
Project overview
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a highly heritable behavioural syndrome with childhood-onset, characterized by symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and/or inattention, which affects up to 5% of children. This research project aims to track down genes that increase risk of developing ADHD. We have analysed hundreds of genetic markers across all chromosomes in more than 200 families with children affected by ADHD. The results of our work, published in a series of papers in a leading genetics journal, highlight a number of chromosomal locations where genes influencing ADHD may lie, particularly on chromosomes 16 and 17. Further research is now underway to identify the specific genes on these chromosomes that are important.
This project is a collaboration with teams led by Prof. Susan Smalley and Prof. Stanley Nelson, of the University of California, Los Angeles, USA.