Ian Adams

Professor Ian Adams serves as a Programme Leader and Professor at the University of Edinburgh, holding a Chair position in Reproductive Biotechnologies within the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. He is based at the MRC Human Genetics Unit in the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, where he leads a research group focused on genetic and chromosomal stability in mammalian germ cells.

His research interests center on understanding how genetic and chromosomal stability is maintained in mammalian germ cells, with particular focus on chromosome segregation during gamete formation. His work investigates the mechanisms that prevent errors leading to aneuploidy, which causes miscarriage, infertility, and conditions like Down's Syndrome. Using mouse models, his laboratory studies genes like Tex19.1 that help maintain proper chromosome numbers in eggs and sperm.

His recent publications reveal a consistent research trajectory examining meiotic chromosome structure, synaptonemal complex formation, retrotransposon regulation, and sister chromatid cohesion in germ cells. These studies connect fundamental genetic mechanisms with clinical reproductive outcomes, particularly focusing on why chromosome segregation errors increase with maternal age.

Professor Adams supervises multiple PhD students and collaborates with researchers across the University of Edinburgh, including Prof. Richard Meehan, Prof. Wendy Bickmore, and Prof. Javier Caceres. His laboratory receives significant funding from the Medical Research Council and BBSRC for projects investigating chromosomal instability in the mammalian germline and human-specific regulatory mechanisms in female germ cell development.