Doctor Odessica Hughes of Meads Bay, Anguilla, recently graduated from the University of Liverpool in the UK with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biostatistics. Dr Hughes embarked on her doctoral journey in October 2016 when she joined the Statistical Genetics and Pharmacogenomics Research Group which formed part of the Department of Biostatistics based in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool.
The nature of Dr Hughes doctoral work relates to the field of genomic research which can be used to understand the interplay of multiple genes, environmental and lifestyle factors on risk of complex diseases such as Cardiovascular Disease, Asthma, Diabetes, Arthritis, Chronic Kidney Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and Cancers. From a public health standpoint, complex diseases are among the most burdensome diseases globally to health systems in terms of the enormous financial costs, mortality, morbidity as well as other societal problems. However, exploring the link between genes, environment and lifestyle has the potential to advance understanding of the biological mechanisms driving disease risk both at the population and individual level. Potential benefits could include: better diagnosis of diseases as health conditions are more precisely characterized; early detection before symptoms develop, thereby increasing the chance of successful treatment; improved medication selection, reducing incidences of unwanted side effects and ineffective treatments; and better targeted screening and prevention strategies. Taken together, these potential benefits will facilitate improvements to survival rates and at the same time reduce treatment costs. This is in keeping with the current vision of precision medicine or precision healthcare.
The scope of Dr Hughes’ doctoral work focused primarily on identifying the most effective statistical methods to identify DNA markers that influence the age at which an individual first experiences symptoms of disease (age of onset). As part of this effort the link between overall disease risk, and age of onset of disease, was investigated through the application of Genetic Risk Scores (GRS), a numerical indicator of risk based on multiple genetic markers associated with a disease. Currently, a fundamental limitation to the clinical implementation of GRS is that they are not as effective in predicting risk of disease in non-European ancestry populations, when compared to European ancestry populations. Therefore, unravelling the underlying genetic mechanisms contributing to this difference in performance is key to the development of GRS for disease prediction in all global populations in a clinical setting. The methodologies assessed were based on type 2 diabetes but are also applicable to other common complex diseases.
Dr Hughes’ doctoral work culminated with the successful defence of her thesis entitled: “Development and Application of Methodology for Genome-Wide Association Studies of Age of Disease Onset in Homogeneous and Admixed Populations”. She received formal confirmation of her award on the 7th of September 2021. Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Dr Hughes graduated in absentia on Monday 6th December 2021. However, this momentous achievement was subsequently celebrated in a ceremony in Liverpool on Thursday 17th February 2022.
Prior to her doctoral training, Dr Hughes worked for over ten years as a Statistician within the Anguilla Statistics Department of the Anguilla Public Service. Dr Hughes, who also holds a Master of Science degree in Medical Statistics obtained from the University of Leicester in the UK, was also employed by the Anguilla Social Security Board for a period of three years, prior to completing her undergraduate degree in Applied Statistics at Coventry University in the UK.
Currently, Dr Hughes is employed by the University of Manchester UK where she works within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. As part of an inter-disciplinary team, she is involved in research designed to further the understanding of the genomic contributions of complex diseases. Aspects of her postdoctoral work will include utilizing ancestrally diverse genetic datasets to better characterize causal variants contributing to kidney disease. Her work will also include the application of GRS for kidney disease to assess their transferability across different ancestral or admixed populations.
Dr Hughes considers herself fortunate to have had the opportunity to undertake doctoral research and therefore gives thanks to God, “for all things are possible with God.” She is also grateful for the support she received at the University of Liverpool, which enabled her to successfully complete her PhD, and is especially appreciative of her supervisory team. Dr Hughes, through this medium, would also like to thank the Government of Anguilla, and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the United Kingdom, for affording her the opportunity to undertake doctoral training. Profound thanks and appreciation are extended to her family and friends for their continuous support and encouragement throughout her scholastic journey.
Dr Hughes is the daughter of Mrs Bernalette Hughes-Sutton and Mr Louis Hodge; and niece of Brenda Hughes and Teacher Pearline Hughes.
– Contributed
