Andrew Ward

Andrew Ward is a Professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bath. His research focuses on understanding fundamental questions relating to growth of the body during development in the womb, with particular emphasis on fetal growth regulation and its long-term health implications.

Professor Ward's research explores the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling growth, with a focus on genes regulated epigenetically by genomic imprinting including Grb10, Igf2, and Dlk1. He investigates how these genes influence both body size and the development of lean and fat tissue proportions, which appears to impact metabolic health throughout life. His work examines how maternal diet and obesity during pregnancy interact with genetic factors to affect fetal development.

His recent publications reveal a strong focus on growth factor receptor signaling, particularly the Grb family of proteins, and their role in fetal growth and metabolic health. His research demonstrates how imprinted genes like Grb10 regulate fetal growth through mechanisms independent of insulin-like growth factor receptors, and how these genetic pathways can influence both physical development and neurological outcomes including social behaviors related to autism.

• BrainHealth - Decoding life course pathways of mental ageing (2023-2028)
• NextGen-O2k all-in-one Oroboros O2k Modular system (2024)
• Multi User High-Content Confocal Microscope (2022-2023)
• Imprinted genes defining a novel mammalian growth regulatory axis (2019-2022)
• MRC adipose regulation (2019-2022)

Professor Ward actively supervises doctoral students and teaches cell signalling, developmental biology, and cancer biology across undergraduate and postgraduate programs. His laboratory currently includes Dr. Kim Moorwood, Meg Warden, and Katarina Koziell. His research contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being.