Petra Proitsi, MSc,PhD

• Genomics
• Multiomics
• Biomarker
• Genetics of Parkinson’s
• Dementia
• Biostatistics
• Mendelian Randomization
• Metabolomic
• Polygenic Risk Score (PRS)

I am a Reader in Genetic Epidemiology at the Centre for Preventive Neurology (CPN) at the Wolfson Institute for Population Health (WIPH), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). I also serve as Deputy Lead for the Digital and Health Data Science Theme at WIPH and as the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Representative for CPN.

I trained in Biological Sciences (BSc) and Human Molecular Genetics (MSc) before completing a PhD in Neuroscience at King’s College London. During my first post-doctoral fellowship, funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK at King’s College London, I also earned an MSc in Medical Statistics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I was subsequently awarded an EMBO Travel Fellowship and an Alzheimer’s Society Research Fellowship, which allowed me to spend two years at the University of Hong Kong before returning to King’s College London. This was followed by a Springboard Fellowship at the MRC Centre for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, and an Alzheimer’s Research UK Senior Research Fellowship at King’s College London, after which I joined QMUL in 2023. I am the PI of a Parkinson’s UK project “Integrative Omics to Better Understand the Molecular Architecture of Parkinson’s Disease” (2024-2027).

The aim of my research is to improve early detection and unravel causal pathways in dementia and Parkinson’s disease. To achieve this, I integrate data across various biological layers, including genetics, metabolomics, and proteomics, alongside clinical and lifestyle factors such as diabetes and exercise, throughout the life course. By leveraging large datasets and employing genetic epidemiology methods, I hope to identify new targets for the prevention and treatment of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.