Brent Richards
Associate Professor, Departments of Human Genetics, Department of Medicine and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Dr. Richards has trained in genetics, medicine, endocrinology, epidemiology and biostatistics. He currently practices endocrinology and runs a research program at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. His research program is focused on the identification of the genetic determinants of common, age-related diseases and the translation of these findings to improved clinical care. Dr. Richards was a CIHR Clinical Investigator and currently is an FRSQ Clinician Scientist. He has had the opportunity to participate in, and sometimes lead, genome-wide association studies recently published in Nature, Nature Genetics, The Lancet and PLoS Genetics. Brent has co-chaired the cohorts arm of the UK10K consortium where ~3,800 population-based participants were whole genome-sequenced and these data have been publicly available, along with 50 phenotypes.
The focus of our current research program is two-fold. The first is to identify the genetic determinants of common endocrine-related disease and the second is to translate this information into improved clinical care. Research conducted in the Richards Lab uses genomic technologies to identify novel biologic pathways that cause common disease. Many drugs currently exist that target these pathways and these drugs could represent new therapeutic options for disease. Our goal is to generate novel and personalized therapeutic options by repositioning existing, less expensive drugs to new indications. Recent studies involve a genome-wide scan to understand the efficacy of certain pharmaceuticals and the link between coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. We are also conducting a study looking at a potential causal role for somatic mutations in autoimmune disease.
