Email: nicoletta.bobola@manchester.ac.uk

Research profile and key clinical specialties

I am Professor in Developmental Biology and Genomics at the University of Manchester. My main research interest is in the role of the non-coding genome in development and disease.

The majority of disease-associated loci identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) lie in non-coding regions of the genome. Cis– regulatory elements (CREs), blocks of sequences embedded in the non-coding genome, control the expression of genes. Variations in CREs alter gene expression, disturb development and cause congenital disease, or increase the risk of developing disease in adulthood.

We use bulk and single cell technologies to delineate the functional non-coding genome instructing formation of the cardiovascular system in humans and to understand the contribution of non-coding genetic variants to cardiovascular disease.

Two key publications

• Gerrard DT, Berry AA, Jennings RE, Birket MJ, Withey SJ, Short P, Jiménez-Gancedo S, Firbas PN, Donaldson I, Sharrocks AD, Piper Hanley K, Hurles ME, Gomez-Skarmeta JL, Bobola N, Hanley NA (2020). The epigenomic landscape regulating organogenesis in human embryos linked to developmental disorders. Nat Commun. 11(1):3920.
• Losa M, Latorre V, Andrabi M, Ladam F, Sagerstrom C, Novoa A, Zarrineh P, Bridoux L, Hanley N, Mallo M, Bobola N (2017). A tissue-specific, Gata6-driven transcriptional program instructs remodeling of the mature arterial tree. Elife doi: 10.7554/eLife.31362.

Possible PhD projects

• Contribution of developmental histories to cardiovascular disease heterogeneity

More information

Supervisor/co-supervisor of 6 PhD students. Advisor to 13 PhD students and external examiner for 7 doctoral dissertations.

Keywords: Developmental, biology, genomics, GWAS, coding, epigenomic, organogenesis, embryos, cardiovascular, Nicolette, Bobola, Manchester

Related