Professor Peter Visscher
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Peter Visscher
MSc, PhD
Professor of Quantitative Genetics
Peter Visscher FRS is professor of Quantitative Genetics. He has held Faculty positions at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Queensland, and Honorary or Affiliate positions at the University of Melbourne, UMCG Groningen and the Karolinska Institute. He is in the process of moving his lab to the Big Data Institute, to be completed in 2024.
Visscher is known for his research investigating the genetic basis of complex human traits, including common diseases. His research focuses on the causes and consequences of human trait variation. Visscher developed and applied statistical analysis methods to quantify and dissect the contribution of DNA polymorphisms to trait variation. He was one of the first to propose, advocate and show that genome and trait data can be used to predict individuals who are genetically at high risk of disease. The use of “polygenic risk scores” in health care is now being trialled worldwide.