Adam Smith

PhD Student

Functional characterization of ANK1, a novel gene implicated in Alzheimer’s disease

Adam Smith is a PhD student at the University of Exeter Medical School, under the supervision of Dr Katie Lunnon and Professor Jonathan Mill. He graduated with a degree in Medical Science from Exeter University in 2014, where he had particular interests in genetics and neurology. Adam spent a year as an associate genetic technician for the Royal Devon and Exeter Genetic NHS service. His PhD now focuses on exploring the epigenetic changes in the ANK1 gene, and how these could lead to disease. The project aims to refine the extent of various epigenetic changes in the ANK1 gene in Alzheimer’s disease, relating this information to both levels of gene expression and characteristic measures of disease stage.