Participants

TIM SPECTOR

Professor Spector is Director of the UK Twin Research Unit based at King's College in London and Co-ordinator of EuroClot. Over the last 20 years he has conducted numerous clinical epidemiological and genetic studies into the common complex traits. He was also responsible for setting up the longitudinal Chingford study of ageing and has successfully carried out genome-wide linkage scans on a number of common traits and diseases and positionally cloned genes for eye disease and osteoporosis. Prof Spector is also part of the 5th Framework GenomEUtwin and 6th Framework MolPAGE Projects.

PETER GRANT

Professor Grant is head of the Academic Unit of Molecular Vascular Medicine, Director of Research for the School of Medicine and Honorary Consultant Physician in Diabetes and General Medicine. The Academic Unit comprises ~30 clinicians and scientists studying genetic and environmental determinants of fibrin structure/function. The Academic Unit has an international reputation in the study of genetics, coagulation and vascular risk and identified the cardioprotective effects of a common mutation in the FXIII gene – FXIIIVal34Leu – interactions with fibrinogen which alter fibrin structure function.

FRITS ROSENDAAL

Professor Frits Rosendaal is affiliated with the Departments of Haematology and Clinical Epidemiology and Chairman of the Leiden University Medical Center. The research group in Leiden is among the leading centres of thrombosis research in the world and has a long-standing line of research into the aetiology of venous thrombosis, and in the last decade has identified seven new risk factors for venous thrombosis, amongst which is factor V Leiden, the most prevalent genetic determinant of thrombosis.

AARNO PALOTIE

Professor Aarno Palotie of the Finnish Genome Center (Helsinki) and the National Public Health Institute has a long history in molecular genetic research in both monogenic and complex traits and has worked on coagulation and clotting factors. His Group are providing unique population resources, including the twin samples from the FP5 Project GenomEUtwin.

ALUN EVANS

Professor Alun Evans is Head of Department and Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Queen’s University Belfast. From 1990 to 2002, he served on the Steering Committee of the WHO MONICA Project, chairing it from 1994 to 1997 and coordinated its completion through a BIOMED II 3rd Call grant from 1996 to 1999. He is coordinating the MORGAM Project and is also part of GenomEUtwin funded under Framework 5 as a Network of Excellence for Genomics in Europe.

MARIA ANTONIETTA STAZI

Dr Stazi is the Director of the Italian Twin Registry (ITR), based at The Istituto Superiore di Sanità, that includes all twin residents in Italy in 1996. The twin recruitment and the collection of the biological specimens for the EUROCLOT Project will be implemented in Central and Southern Italy. The staff of the Italian Twin Registry has experience in the field of genetic epidemiology as well as expertise in cardiovascular and neurological research as part of the GenomEUtwin Project.

NANCY PEDERSEN

Professor Pedersen is the Director of the Swedish Twin Registry (STR) based in Stockholm. During the last 25 years she has conducted numerous twin studies focusing on the quantitative genetics of complex traits and behaviours. The population based Swedish Twin Registry has information on over 80,000 pairs of twins. The STR has successfully collaborated in 2 other EU projects, and over 40 international collaborations.

JOSE MANUEL SORIA

Professor Soria is the head of the Thrombophila Laboratory at Hospital St Pau i Creu in Barcelona and has a long history and expertise in molecular genetics research. The Team pioneered detailed phenotypic collections for coagulation and thrombosis in extended families though the GAIT study. The St Pau team includes the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Unit which has an integrated research line in the genetics of thrombotic disease.