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George Kirov

Professor George Kirov

Clinical Professor, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences

School of Medicine

Email
Kirov@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29206 88465
Campuses
Hadyn Ellis Building, Room 2.47, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

Prof Kirov's research focuses on the role of copy number variations (CNVs) and high-throughput sequencing in neuropsychiatric disorders. In his clinical work he supervises the ECT delivery in Cardiff and provides second opinion for affective disorders.

Currently Prof Kirov focuses on analysing the CNVs in all 500,000 participants in the UK Biobank. The CNVs have been called and analysed their role in disease and phenotypic differences, and the results have been published.

The results are also available on my repository page where they are updated when appropriate. Some results can be checked interactively: https://kirov.psycm.cf.ac.uk/

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

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1999

1998

1997

1996

1994

1990

1987

Articles

Book sections

  • Kendall, K., Kirov, G. and Owen, M. 2017. Schizophrenia Genetics. In: Benjamin, S., Virginia, S. and Pedro, R. eds. Kaplan and Sadock?s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry. Wolters Kluwer
  • Kirov, G. and Owen, M. J. 2009. Genetics of schizophrenia. In: Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A. and Ruiz, P. eds. Kaplan and Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry. 9th ed.., Vol. 1. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, pp. 1462-1474.
  • Lazarus, J. H., Kirov, G. and Harris, B. B. 2006. Effect of lithium on the thyroid and endocrine glands. In: Müller-Oerlinghausen, B., Bauer, M. and Grof, P. eds. Lithium in Neuropsychiatry : The Comprehensive Guide. Abingdon: Informa UK, pp. 259-270., (10.3109/9780203007051.022)

Websites

Research

Recruitment: I took part in large collections of parent-offspring trios samples of families with manic depressive and schizophrenic probands. Currently these number about 1120 families. I work on copy number variation (CNVs) in these disorders and have PhD students who use the data: Kimberley Kendall and Matthew Bracher-Smith. This is my main research interest. Several loci have received support through my work on CNVs and this effort is on-going with analysis of de novo occurring CNVs and sequencing, which is now led by Elliott Rees.

ECT research: This is my main clinical research. I am a member of the Royal College Commettee for ECT. Previous interests include lithium therapy and its effect on the thyroid gland and the kidneys.

I have published a book with real stories about ECT, to improve the public perception of this treatment.

Teaching

Teaching and personal tutoring of medical students.

Organising an annual Summer School in Brain Disorders Researc.

supervising higher degrees student.

Module Leader on the course "The Scientific Basis of Psychiatric Disorders" on the modular Psychology in Medicine Intercalated Degree at Cardiff University since 2015.

External Examiner for Masters Degrees and Postgraduate Diplomas at King's College Hospital London 2003-06, and Queen's University Belfast 2019-23.

PhD examinations as an external examiner in the UK and abroad.

Biography

Born in Bulgaria

1980-1986: Medicine at the Medical Academy in Sofia

1989-1992: Training in Psychiatry in the UK, MRCPsych

1996-1999: Wellcome Trust Training Fellowship, Cardiff

1999-2001: Wellcome Advanced Fellowship, "Association studies in manic depressive illness using DNA pooling".

Aug 2002: PhD, Cardiff University: "Association studies in manic depressive illness using DNA pooling."

2001-2010: Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, Cardiff University, Cardiff

2010-2014: Reader at the Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, Cardiff University

2014–present: Professor at the Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, Cardiff University

Professional memberships

MRCPsych, MAcadMed, WKL Society

Committees and reviewing

Module Leader: ME3085: "The Scientific Basis of Psychological Medicine" at the Psychology and Medicine Intercalated Degree in Cardiff University

Director of Clinical Training at the MRC Centre

University Ethics Committee member

Educational Supervisor

Engagement

Public engagement: I am determined to improve the public profile of ECT. I have published the book Shocked in 2020 which describes individual stories of patients who have had ECT.