Daniel Wells

Molecular biologist turned statistician

I’m currently working at Genomics plc developing and applying statistical methods that use genetic data to estimate an individual’s risk of various diseases.

Previously I completed a PhD in functional genomics at the University of Oxford, in which I used unsupervised statistical learning approaches to generate new scientific hypotheses and leads from high throughput genomics experiments (thesis). Prior to that I was an experimental molecular biologist with experience in a range of biomedical fields including vaccinology/immunology, developmental biology, genome engineering, and oncology.

Some specific projects I’ve worked on:

  • Creating an atlas of which genes are turned on in which cell types and at what stage during meiosis in mice. (paper)
  • Characterisation of a specific gene that’s required for successful meiosis in male mice. (paper)
  • Creation and preclinical testing of vaccines for Ebola and MERS-Coronavirus (which went on to sucessfully complete phase I clinical trials in humans). (paper, clinical trial paper)
  • Using CRISPR genetic editing to study the developmental process in chicken embryos. (paper)