Research Group:
Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology
Dr E Allott, Dr S Jain, Dr G Prue
Application Deadline:
20 January 2019
There are currently no well-established modifiable risk factors for prostate cancer. Some evidence suggests that obesity is linked to more aggressive prostate cancer and worse outcomes, but studies are inconsistent and mechanisms are not understood.
Obesity is one of the biggest challenges to public health in the UK and across much of the world. The major threat is in obesity-related metabolic disturbances, which drive insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
We are interested in discovering the mechanisms by which genes influence obesity. The dog is an excellent model organism for human comparative analyses.
Increasing levels of obesity are a major public health concern. In the latest Health Survey for Northern Ireland data (November, 2018) 64% of adults were classified with overweight (37%) or with obesity (27%) that is, having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m2 or 30 kg/m2 respectively.
New Zealand has the third highest rates of obesity in the world. Despite decades of effort to reduce these rates, they continue to rise, particularly in young women and especially amongst Māori and Pacific.
