MRC Human Genetics Unit
Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit

About HGU

Find out more about our people, research and facilities.

IGMM building

The MRC Human Genetics Unit discovers how changes in our DNA impact our lives.

We combine the latest computational and experimental technologies to investigate how our genomes work to control the function of molecules, cells and tissues in people and populations. For more than half a century our research has been dedicated to understanding human genetic disease. Today we continue to apply our clinical and scientific expertise, harnessing the power of complex data, to improve health, and the lives of patients and their families.

Our DNA

Our Lives

Scientific aims:

  • To understand the molecular basis of human genetic disease and normal development – especially that of the eye, the brain and growth
  • To identify and understand the genome sequence variants involved in common disease risk and quantitative traits
  • To understand how the flow of information from DNA through RNA to the organism is regulated
  • To identify the forces of mutation and selection that influence human genome variation
  • To investigate opportunities for novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches

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