Dr Mark Iles

Profile

I design and analyse population-based genetic epidemiology studies and research the theoretical statistics and methodology underlying them. I am currently working on a variety of applied medical genetic studies as well as carrying out methodological research related to genetic epidemiology.

Research background

After a degree in Mathematics from Bristol University, I studied for a Masters in Biometry at Reading University, where I was first introduced to the field of statistical genetics, including a project modelling the evolution of repeated sequences of DNA supervised by Robert Curnow and John Whittaker. I studied for my PhD with Tim Bishop at the University of Leeds on “Using Population Structure to Locate Low Penetrance Disease Genes”. After this, I worked as a lecturer at the University of Sheffield for several years in Chris Cannings’ group, where I co-organised the MSc in Genetic Epidemiology and supervised a number of Masters students’ projects in addition to continuing my own research. Subsequent to this I worked at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm in the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics during which time I was awarded the International Genetic Epidemiology Society’s James V Neel Young Investigator Award.

Roles

I co-lead the vasculitis workstream as part of the Muskuloskeletal them of the Leeds Biomedical Research Centre (total £21.6M)

I co-developed and am Programme lead for the Msc in Precision Medicine: Genomic Data Science, which was warded funding for both development and studentships from HDRUK and the Office for Students. I co-devleoped and am on the steering group for the new online MSc Genomic Medicine with Data Science.

I lead the Introduction to Genetic Epidemiology MSc module (EPIB5032M), the Research Project: Genomics and Analytics module (BIOL5352M) and the online Genetic Epidemiolgy module (OGDS5201M).

Previous roles

2004-2005: Senior Scientist, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm

1999-2004: Lecturer, University of Sheffield

Qualifications

1996-2000: PhD, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, University of Leeds Thesis title: Using Population Structure to Locate Low Penetrance Disease Genes Supervisor: Prof Tim Bishop

1995-1996: MSc in Biometry, Department of Applied Statistics, University of Reading Supervisors: Prof Robert Curnow, Prof Richard Sibley, Dr John Whittaker

1992-1995: BSc in Mathematics, University of Bristol

PhD supervision

Ernest Mangantig, successful viva March 2017, co-supervisors Mark Iles and Tim Bishop. Thesis title: The effect of patient and tumour genetics on survival from melanoma

Adam Trower, sucessful viva April 2021, supervised by Tim Bishop (main supervisor), Mark Iles and Julia Newton Bishop. Thesis title: Using big data and statistics to understand melanoma skin cancer

Harriett Fuller, successful viva May 2022, co-supervised with Michael Zulyniak and Bernadette Mooret

Theofanis Tsismentzoglou, successful viva December 2023, co-supervised with Eamonn Sheridan.

Natalie Chaddock, successful viva June 2024, started 2018, co-supervised with Ann Morgan and Jenny Barrett

Michal Zulcinski, successful viva June 2024, started 2018, co-supervised with Ann Morgan and Jenny Barrett

John Taylor, successful viva November 2024 , co-supervised with Phil Quirke, Dermot Burke and Eva Morris

Current Group members

Zak Thornton (BRC-funded postdoctoral fellow)

Michal Zulcinski (BRC-funded postdoctoral fellow)

Christy Avery (Fulbright Distinguished Scholar)

Stephanie Harrison, PhD student, started 2022, co-supervised with Ann Morgan and Helena Marzo-Ortega

Abeer Almalki, PhD student, started 2023, co-supervised with Sofia Titarenko, Ann Morgan and Charles Taylor

Supervision topics

Statistics, genetics, epidemiology

Responsibilities

• Programme manager for MSc Precision Medicine: Genomics and Analytics
• Co-lead of RESS3 module
• Lead fo the Introduction to Genetic Epidemiology module

Research interests

My current applied research includes the analysis of a large, multi-national genome-wide association study (GWAS) of melanoma, as part of the GenoMEL consortium, and I am involved in the meta-analysis of several melanoma GWAS as well as understanding the genetic relationship between pigmentation and melanoma risk. My particular areas of interest regarding melanoma include the use of genetic predictors of related phenotypes (polygenic risk scores for pigemntation, naevus count and telomere length) to improve prediction and understanding of melanoma risk.

I am currently involved in genetic studies of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica, using both germline and gene expression data to understadn the development of these diseases, the differences between them and risk prediction. More generally I am interested in the use of glucocorticoids, which are routinely used to treat vasculitis, and lead to greatly increased risk of cardiovascular events. I am looking at the genetic basis of such cardiovascular disease and prediction of this.

I am part of the HELICAL consortium an EU-funded MSCA innovative training network (ITN) to train health informatics researchers using autoimmune vasculitis as a paradigm. I am part of TARGET, an MRC-funded consortium to improve clinical evaluation of Giant Cell Arteritis, including research into biomarkers and genomics. I co-lead the Epidemiology and Risk Prediction workstream as part of the Glucocorticoid Minimisation arm of the NIHR/Arthritis UK Musculoskeletal Translational Research Collaboration. I co-lead the Epidemiology and Risk Prediction workstream as part of the Glucocorticoid Minimisation arm of the NIHR/Arthritis UK Musculoskeletal Translational Research Collaboration.

I have previously worked on cardiovascular disease (as part of the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium), gestational diabetes, breast cancer, bowel cancer, testis cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, amongst others.

My theoretical research interests are in the area of genetic association analysis, with a particular interest in population genetics considerations and the design of population-based genetic studies (GWAS, fine mapping and the use of polygenic risk scores in high risk groups). I have worked on a variety of statistical genetics-related problems such as the effect of incomplete LD on the apparent mode of inheritance of a disease, estimating the efficacy of tag SNPs, sequential genotyping of nuclear families and extensions to the TDT (as did seemingly every other genetic epidemiologist in the late 90s). Other non-epidemiological research has included a theoretical study into the evolution of recombination rates and how this is affected by population size and degree of selection.

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James's
• Rare Diseases & Genetics
• Pathology and Data Analytics

Current postgraduate researchers

• Fanis Tsismentzoglou