Alasdair MacKenzie

Professor Alasdair MacKenzie is a Personal Chair in the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen. Since 2001, he has held progressively senior roles at the university, including Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader, and now Professor. His research focuses on gene regulatory mechanisms, particularly how polymorphisms in non-coding regions contribute to disease susceptibility and drug response variability.

• University of Strathclyde, BSc (Hons) in Cell Biology
• University of Manchester, PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology

MacKenzie's research investigates regulatory variation and epigenetics in human disease, with specific interest in how genetic switches (enhancer regions) control neuropeptide genes involved in appetite, mood, alcohol intake, and inflammatory pain. His lab pioneered CRISPR-based cis-regulatory knockout techniques to demonstrate how these regions affect gene expression and behavior in mouse models. Key targets include substance-P, BDNF, CB1, and GAL genes.

His publications highlight work on epigenetic modifications like DNA methylation influenced by environmental factors such as early life stress and diet. Collaborations span institutions including the Rowett Institute, University of Iowa, University of Edinburgh, and Kings College London, with funding from BBSRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust, and Medical Research Scotland.

Teaching responsibilities include coordinating courses Molecular Biology of the Gene (BI20M3), Honours Genetics Option 2 (GN4310), and lecturing in genetics, developmental genetics, and genome-enabled medicine. He also teaches ethics in genetics through the "Mankind and the Universe" course.