Dr. Craig J Anderson
Postdoctoral Fellow

- MRC Human Genetics Unit
- Institute of Genetics and Cancer
Contact details
- Email: craig.anderson@igmm.ed.ac.uk
- Web: Github
Address
- Street
-
Crewe Road
- City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH4 2XU
Background
I'm interested in evolutionary biology, principally adaptation and the generation of genetic variation.
Focusing on genetic heterogeneity in cancer, I use the phenomena of lesion segregation and multiallelism to gain insight into DNA damage and repair during the early stages of tumourigenesis.
My PhD from Cardiff University was in the field of ecotoxicology, whereby I focused on a systems biology overview of the effects of arsenic exposure on invertebrate populations. Specialisation in population genetics allowed me to focus on adaptation and gene flow in an agricultural pest species while at CSIRO in Canberra, under a prestigious OCE fellowship.
During these roles, I cultivated an interest in the variability of mutation rate across the genome and as such am using cancer as a model to define novel insights into mutational heterogeneity and its role in adaptation.
CV

Qualifications
First (Hons) BSc Biological Sciences, Plymouth University, UK
PhD, Cardiff University and Centre of Ecology and Hydrology Wallingford, UK. Title: Mechanistic Bases of Metal Tolerance: Linking Phenotype to Genotype
Responsibilities & affiliations
Committee member of the Genetics Society (2022-2023)
Member of the Genetics Society (UK), SMBE (US) and EACR (EU).
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Research summary
I come from a deeply varied evolutionary biology background and most recently played a key role in a body of work titled “Pervasive lesion segregation shapes cancer genome evolution”. My co-authors and I discovered that DNA damage from mutagenic processes, such as UV irradiation and tobacco smoke, is heritable.
I designed and performed bioinformatic analyses able to demonstrate that repeated replication over unrepaired DNA adducts leads not only to allelic diversity, but also combinations of alleles. These patterns are consistent across a murine phylogeny and encouragingly, exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying this previously unfounded source of cancer heterogeneity is providing a glut of fundamental insights into somatic evolutionary processes.
My current work within the MRC HGU is to understand the sources and effects of genetic diversity as I begin to unravel the effects of DNA damage retention in various contexts, including during development and tumouregensis. My work within Martin Taylor's lab and with our collaborators is already beginning to foster wide-reaching and impactful results on the role of exogenous exposure to mutagens.
Past research interests
For a complete list of my publications, check https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2832-9313-
Strand-resolved mutagenicity of DNA damage and repair
In:
bioRxiv
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Unpublished) -
Pervasive lesion segregation shapes cancer genome evolution
(6 pages)
In:
Nature, vol. 583, pp. 265–270
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2435-1
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Mitochondrial DNA genomes of five major Helicoverpa pest species from the Old and New Worlds (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
In:
Ecology and Evolution, vol. 9, pp. 2933-2944
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2019.9.issue-5
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Multiple recombination events between two cytochrome P450 loci contribute to global pyrethroid resistance in Helicoverpa armigera
In:
PLoS ONE, vol. 13, pp. e0197760
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197760
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Hybridization and gene flow in the mega-pest lineage of moth, Helicoverpa
In:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), vol. 115, pp. 5034-5039
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1718831115
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Population differentiation between Australian and Chinese Helicoverpa armigera occurs in distinct blocks on the Z-chromosome.
In:
Bulletin of Entomological Research
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007485318000081
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Genetic variation in populations of the earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus, across contaminated mine sites
(13 pages)
In:
BMC Genetics, vol. 18
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-017-0557-8
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Genomic innovations, transcriptional plasticity and gene loss underlying the evolution and divergence of two highly polyphagous and invasive Helicoverpa pest species
In:
BMC Biology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-017-0402-6
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Mitochondrial DNA and trade data support multiple origins of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) in Brazil
In:
Scientific Reports
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep45302
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Ecological drivers influence the distributions of two cryptic lineages in an earthworm morphospecies
In:
Applied Soil Ecology, vol. 108
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2016.07.013
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Population structure and gene flow in the global pest, Helicoverpa armigera
In:
Molecular Ecology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.13841
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Life-history effects of arsenic toxicity in clades of the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus
(8 pages)
In:
Environmental Pollution, vol. 172, pp. 200-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2012.09.005
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
A brave new world for an old world pest: Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Brazil
In:
PLoS ONE
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080134
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
DNA sequence variation and methylation in an arsenic tolerant earthworm population
In:
Soil Biology and Biochemistry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.10.014
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Earthworms Produce phytochelatins in Response to Arsenic
In:
PLoS ONE
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0081271
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published)