About us

The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics

In the first decades of the 21st century, researchers are beginning to understand in detail how our genetic inheritance makes us who we are. At the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, our aim is to extend that understanding in order to gain a clearer insight into mechanisms of health and disease. Looking across all three billion letters of the human genetic code, we aim to pinpoint variant spellings and discover how they increase or decrease an individual’s risk of falling ill.

The WHG is a research institute of the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford, funded by the University, Wellcome, and numerous other sponsors. It is based in purpose-built laboratories on the University of Oxford’s Biomedical Research Campus in Headington, one of the largest concentrations of biomedical expertise in the world. Here our researchers are able to work closely with colleagues across University departments including, but not limited to, the Department of Psychiatry, the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and the Big Data Institute.  

With more than 400 active researchers and around 70 employed in administrative and support roles, the Centre is an international leader in genetics, genomics and structural biology. We collaborate with research teams across the world on a number of large-scale studies in these areas. Our researchers expend close to £20m annually in competitively-won grants, and publish around 300 primary papers per year.

THE CENTRE SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM

Director: John Todd, Professor of Precision Medicine

Business Manager: Sue Wilson

Deputy Business Manager: David Bartle

Finance Manager: Lara Elverson

Senior Grants Officer: Jill Hopkins

Health and Safety Manager: Mike Challen

Building and Facilities Manager: Boyd Rodger