Jim Wilson

Jim Wilson is Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Edinburgh, jointly affiliated with the Usher Institute and the MRC Human Genetics Unit within the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. He holds a personal Chair and serves in the Deanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences. His educational background includes a first-class BSc in Genetics from the University of Edinburgh (1997) and a DPhil in Human Population Genetics from the University of Oxford (2002), with research training under Nobel laureate Svante Pääbo and David Goldstein.

Wilson's research spans population genetics, disease genetics, and genetic epidemiology, with particular focus on:

• Genetic architecture of complex traits influencing diseases like heart disease and diabetes
• Founder effects and pathogenic variants in Scottish island populations
• Homozygosity and recessive genetic variants through the ROHgen consortium
• Genetic history of the British Isles including Norse Viking ancestry

He leads the Viking Genes studies in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, which combine rich phenotyping, deep genotyping, and biobanking to identify disease associations.

His extensive publication portfolio (over 300 peer-reviewed articles) consistently explores genetic epidemiology methods, population-specific variant discovery, and the interface between genetic history and modern disease risk. Recent work focuses on translating genetic discoveries into clinical applications through population screening programs.

Wilson has received significant recognition including:

• Royal Society University Research Fellowship
• Thomson-Reuters Highly Cited Researcher (2014-2017)
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
• IFTA awards for science communication programs

He leads multiple funded projects including:

• Return of Actionable Genetics Findings to Viking Genes Participants (Wellcome Trust)
• Landscape of HFE gene variation across British Isles (Haemochromatosis UK)
• FAIR informatics tools development (Health Data Research UK)
• Sleep/circadian rhythm effects on brain health (multiple funders)

Wilson directs the Viking Genes research program and leads an international consortium (ROHgen) involving >100 cohort studies and >1.4 million participants. His group focuses on translating population genetics findings into clinical applications, particularly regarding founder variants in Scottish populations.