Patricia B Munroe

Professor Patricia B Munroe is a leading academic in molecular medicine at Queen Mary University of London's William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI), part of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. She holds dual roles as Professor of Molecular Medicine and Centre Lead for Clinical Pharmacology and Precision Medicine. Her research focuses on genetic basis of cardiovascular diseases including arrhythmias, hypertension, and heart failure, with emphasis on genomic biomarkers and personalized medicine strategies.

Education

B.Sc. Biochemistry and M.Sc. Biotechnology from University of Galway, Ireland. PhD in cardiovascular genetics from St Bartholomew’s Hospital (1995). Completed postdoctoral fellowships at University College London.

Research Interests

Munroe leads international consortia analyzing genomic data to identify hypertension-linked loci (over 1,000 discovered) and cardiac structural/function biomarkers. Her lab integrates GWAS, omics technologies, and Mendelian randomization to develop predictive clinical models. Current projects explore pharmacogenetic responses to anti-hypertensives and statins through collaborations with ICAPS, CHARGE, and GIST consortia.

Key Achievements

• Discovered 1,000+ hypertension-associated genetic loci
• Identified hundreds of loci for ECG and cardiac MRI biomarkers
• Co-leads CHARGE Consortium projects on gene-environment interactions
• Director of Queen Mary's Genome Centre
• Adjunct Professor at University of Toledo's Physiology & Pharmacology Department

Awards

• Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher (2015-2018)
• Fellow of Academy of Medical Sciences (2021)

Advising & Funding

Supervises 6 PhD students and directs a lab with 3 research staff. Major funders include National Institute for Health and Care Research, British Heart Foundation, and Medical Research Council. Recent projects include a £87k grant with Royal Veterinary College studying feline hypertension genetics.

Collaborations

Key partners include University College London, Harvard University, and NIH-funded consortia. Leads the Electrogenomics Group studying electrical/cardiac genetic causes of mortality.