Overview

Janice is a senior research fellow in the Epidemiology and Public Health group at the University of Exeter Medical School. Janice's research  focuses on the analysis of environmental and genetic risk factors of ageing and age-related diseases. Janice has a particular research interest in the common genetic condition hereditary haemochromatosis, which can cause iron overload. Janice currently holds an NIHR Advanced Fellowship on "Enabling timely diagnosis of hereditary haemochromatosis".

Prior to joining the University of Exeter, Janice undertook a PhD at University College London, funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. Janice’s PhD explored the effects of body composition and dietary patterns on the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in older age, using longitudinal data from the British Regional Heart Study.

Qualifications

• 2020                   Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (University of Exeter)
• 2015                   PhD Epidemiology (University College London)
• 2011                   MSc Epidemiology (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
• 2004                   BSc (Hons) Human Biology (Loughborough University)

Career

• 2022-                 Senior Research Fellow (University of Exeter Medical School)
• 2015–2022        Research Fellow (University of Exeter Medical School)
• 2008–2011        Scientist (Public Health England, formerly Health Protection Agency)
• 2005–2007        Research Assistant (King’s College London)

Links

• Google Scholar page
• Haemochromatosis Patient Risk
• LinkedIn

Research group links

• Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science

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Research

Research interests

Haemochromatosis

Janice currently holds an NIHR Advanced Fellowship, investigating how to improve the diagnosis of hereditary haemochromatosis. Previously Janice worked on an MRC funded grant on “Genetic variation, iron and later life health outcomes” from 2019 to 2021.

Haemochromatosis is a disorder of iron overload, causing people to absorb too much iron from their diet. This iron can build up to toxic levels in body organs, causing disease. Haemochromatosis is the most common genetic condition in the UK, but people are often diagnosed too late. Recent research from the Epidemiology and Public Health Group found that people who carry two copies of the mutation (called p.C282Y in gene HFE) had substantial excess morbidity; 1 in 5 of these males and 1 in 10 females aged 40 to 70 developed additional disease, compared to those without mutations (published in the BMJ). My research has also found that male p.C282Y homozygotes have a ten-fold increase in the risk of liver cancer (Atkins et al, JAMA, 2020) and a doubling in the risk of dementia (Atkins et al, JAD, 2021) compared to those without mutations.

The symptoms of haemochromatosis, chronic fatigue and joint pain, are often mistaken for "normal" signs of ageing, and thus diagnosis is often missed or delayed. Haemochromatosis is easily treated by the removal of blood, and blood tests for iron and genetic testing are simple and cost-effective. Therefore the research suggests that routine screening or improved case finding may be needed to identify people at risk of haemochromatosis.

Longevity and Healthy Ageing

Janice’s research interests also include the epidemiology of ageing and age-related diseases. From 2015 to 2019 Janice worked on an MRC funded grant examining "Genetic and environmental influences on ageing well in the UK Biobank.” Her role was to analyse conventional and novel risk factors and genetic variants associated with ageing well, using data from the UK Biobank study – a large prospective cohort of 500,000 volunteers aged 40-69 years, with genotype data in combination with extensive phenotyping and linkage to medical records.

Grants/Funding

• Enabling timely diagnosis of hereditary haemochromatosis. Principal investigator.NIHR Advanced Fellowship. £314,985. 2021-2025.
• Genetic variation, iron and later life health outcomes. Co-applicant. Medical Research Council. £291,820. 2019-2021. 
• Hereditary haemochromaotosis - Cost of Illness Study. Principal investigator. Heamochromatosis UK, Fernau Medical Research Award. £3,930. 2020.
• Identifying haemochromatosis patients from DXA images of bones and joints using deep learning methods. Co-applicant. Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF) Seed corn project. £3,410. 2019.
• Body composition, dietary patterns, cardiovascular disease and mortality in older age. Principal investigator. NIHR School for Primary Care Research, PhD studentship. £85,260. 2011-2015. 

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Publications

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Teaching

• BMBS Research Special Study Unit Provider - Genetic and Environmental Influences on Common Diseases
• BSc Medical Sciences - Professional Training Year provider and Final Year Project supervisor

Postgraduate 

• Master of Public Health - HPDM121 / HPDM121Z Epidemiology (module co-lead)
• Master of Public Health academic tutor
• MSc Genomic Medicine - Research Project Supervisor
• GW4 BioMed MRC Doctoral Training Partnership – online tutor

PhD supervision

• Lucy Banfield: The impact of the inherited iron overload disorder, haemochromatosis, on the musculoskeletal system in UK Biobank
• Mitchell Lucas: Genetic and environmental modifiers of iron overload disease: why do only some patients get serious health outcomes?

Modules

2023/24

• HPDM121 - Epidemiology
• HPDM121Z - Epidemiology

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