![Isabella Willcocks BSc, MSc, PhD](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/4827?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Isabella Willcocks
(she/her)
BSc, MSc, PhD
Research Associate, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences
- WillcocksIR@cardiff.ac.uk
- Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
Research associate working in the psychosis research theme of the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, focussing primarily on common genetic variation in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, and how it differs from non-treatment resistant schizophrenia
Publication
2023
- Lock, S. K. et al. 2023. Mediation and longitudinal analysis to interpret the association between clozapine pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics, and absolute neutrophil count. Schizophrenia 9, article number: 74. (10.1038/s41537-023-00404-6)
- Kappel, D. B. et al. 2023. Genomic stratification of clozapine prescription patterns using schizophrenia polygenic scores. Biological Psychiatry 93, pp. 149-156. (10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.07.014)
2022
- Willcocks, I. 2022. The genomic stratification of schizophrenia. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
- Pardinas, A. et al. 2022. Interaction testing and polygenic risk scoring to estimate the contribution of common genetic variants to treatment resistance in schizophrenia. JAMA Psychiatry 79(3), pp. 260-269. (10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.3799)
2021
- Willcocks, I. et al. 2021. Clozapine metabolism is associated with absolute neutrophil count in individuals with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Frontiers in Pharmacology 12, article number: 658734. (10.3389/fphar.2021.658734)
2020
- Grama, S. et al. 2020. Polygenic risk for schizophrenia and subcortical brain anatomy in the UK Biobank cohort. Translational Psychiatry 10, article number: 309. (10.1038/s41398-020-00940-0)
Erthyglau
- Lock, S. K. et al. 2023. Mediation and longitudinal analysis to interpret the association between clozapine pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics, and absolute neutrophil count. Schizophrenia 9, article number: 74. (10.1038/s41537-023-00404-6)
- Kappel, D. B. et al. 2023. Genomic stratification of clozapine prescription patterns using schizophrenia polygenic scores. Biological Psychiatry 93, pp. 149-156. (10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.07.014)
- Pardinas, A. et al. 2022. Interaction testing and polygenic risk scoring to estimate the contribution of common genetic variants to treatment resistance in schizophrenia. JAMA Psychiatry 79(3), pp. 260-269. (10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.3799)
- Willcocks, I. et al. 2021. Clozapine metabolism is associated with absolute neutrophil count in individuals with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Frontiers in Pharmacology 12, article number: 658734. (10.3389/fphar.2021.658734)
- Grama, S. et al. 2020. Polygenic risk for schizophrenia and subcortical brain anatomy in the UK Biobank cohort. Translational Psychiatry 10, article number: 309. (10.1038/s41398-020-00940-0)
Gosodiad
- Willcocks, I. 2022. The genomic stratification of schizophrenia. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
Research
I have worked with the schizophrenia working group of the PGC as a registered analyst. I am now working as part of Psych-STRATA, a multi-centre international project funded by Horizon Europe looking at treatment response in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression
Biography
After completing my undergraduate degree in neuroscience and a master's in molecular neuroscience at the University of Bristol, I began my PhD in 2018 funded by the MRC in the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics. I completed my PhD under the supervision of Professor James Walters and Dr Antonio Pardiñas. My PhD focussed on the genomic stratification of schizophrenia, and how separating research participants into more homogenous patient subgroups could facilitate a more personalised medicine approach in the treatment of schizophrenia
My work now focuses on common genetic variation in treatment-resistant schizophrenia as part of Psych-STRATA, a multi-centre international project funded by Horizon Europe
Honours and awards
Guarantors of Brain 2023: ECR Travel Award
Genetics Society 2023: ECR Travel Award
WCPG 2022: Early Career Investigator Program Poster Finalist
Research themes
Specialisms
- Schizophrenia
- Treatment Resistance