Your Team
Who is Prof Tim D Spector?
Prof Tim Spector has dedicated his working life to the study of the genetics of ageing and diseases through his work with twins. The Department of Twin Research (formerly the Twin Research Unit) was initially set up over 14 years ago in a study involving 400 twins to discover whether there is a genetic component to arthritis. Since then the Department has expanded to over 50 members of staff and over 10,000 twins who have now participated in one of our many studies that range from the study of diabetes, osteoporosis, pain, cataracts, to moles and body fat distribution, to name a few.
Prof Spector’s scientific tendencies were not obvious from childhood when he dreamt of being a cowboy fostered by his love of westerns. However, through the years this humble dream was abandoned in the pursuit of a career in medicine and research, which has seen him accomplish many successes.
Prof Spector likes to unwind away from the office by practising extreme sports such as ski trekking, surfing, mountain climbing and from time to time book reading, always on a sunny spot to keep that tan that most of you have come to know and love. He is also an Elvis Presley fan and likes to entertain with karaoke versions of his songs. He is fluent in French, speaks Italian and German, and is currently learning Spanish.
Prof Spector cycles to work and is married with two children.
Who will you see when you visit our department?
Clinical Research Team
You will be seen by our clinical research team, which comprises a clinical team of 6 managed by our Research Nurse Manager, Gail Clement.
The team works hard to ensure that your visit is carried out as pleasantly as possible. The clinical research team are all fully trained to carry out a large number of tests and have a wealth of experience in research. Most importantly, they all love their job and enjoy getting to know twins at the visit. Gail says: “we all appreciate how important your contribution to research is, especially at a time when gene discovery is opening up so many possibilities for the understanding of our health and behaviour.
Lab Team
Straight after the clinical research team have taken your blood samples, either Dylan or Kiran, two members of the laboratory staff, will collect them for processing and storage at the DTR Laboratory. The blood collected is separated into serum and plasma samples, and then stored along with the urine sample in large freezers at the DTR. A further whole blood sample is preserved in order to extract a DNA sample at a later date.
In addition to daily twin visits, the laboratory handles saliva, blood, buccal swabs, and hair samples from a wide array of ancillary projects funded by the DTR, as well blood and hair samples that you kindly post to us as part of our postal collection. Gabriela, the lab manager, coordinates sample management and shipment as well as liaising with research collaborators while ensuring that lab work is conducted smoothly and expediently.
Admin Team
Mala, the admin manager and Sol and Karolina, the admin assistants are happy to provide you with information about the Department and twin visits. They all work round the clock to keep you informed of any new projects and media events. They have talked to more than 5000 of you and have answers to your every query! The team also keeps all your contact details updated so please let them know of any changes.