Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith
- Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics
Contact
About
Biography
Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith is the Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics in the Department of Genetics at the University of Cambridge and Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Before this appointment, she served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and International Partnerships) at the University of Cambridge and was Head of the Department of Genetics from 2013-2021. She is a Fellow of Darwin College.
A renowned mammalian developmental geneticist, genome biologist and epigeneticist, Professor Ferguson-Smith leads a research group comprised of experimental and computational scientists. They focus on the epigenetic control of genome function, particularly on models of epigenetic inheritance with implications for health and disease. Committed to the training and professional development of new talent, her team’s current work focuses on two main areas – the genetics of epigenetic variation at mammalian retrotransposons and its influence on phenotypic variation; and the function and regulation of genomic imprinting. In addition, the team investigates how genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors influence cellular and developmental processes.
In 2017, Anne was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 2021 received their Buchanan Medal for her pioneering work on epigenetics. In 2023, she was named Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her research contributions.
Interests
Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic mechanism causing genes to be expressed depending on their parental origin. Our research investigates the mechanism and evolution of genomic imprinting and the function of imprinted genes in development and disease. Part of this programme considers the implications of epigenetic control in the development and function of the brain. We also use imprinting as a model system for analysing the epigenetic control of genome function and in particular the roles of DNA methylation and histone modifications in the regulation of gene activity and repression. Our work focuses on an imprinted domain that includes genes and non-coding RNAs that are expressed during neural development and in the adult brain. Little is known about the precise roles of these genes. We are taking molecular approaches using mouse genetic models to address the function of these genes.
Research Group Links
https://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/research-groups/research-groups/ferguson-smith