Silvia Paracchini

Silvia Paracchini FRSE is a geneticist who researches the contribution of genetic variation to neurodevelopmental traits such as dyslexia and human handedness.[1][2]

Education

As an undergraduate, Paracchini studied Biological Sciences at the University of Pavia, Italy.[3] During this time she undertook an ERASMUS scholarship project at the Technical University of Denmark.[4] She obtained her DPhil in Human Genetics from the University of Oxford in 2003.[3]

Career and research

After obtaining her doctorate, Paracchini held a post-doctoral research position with the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics from 2003 to 2011.[5][6] In 2011, she was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.[7] Her research group at the University of St Andrews School of Medicine explores the genetic underpinnings of human behavioral traits like handedness, and neurodevelopment disorders like dyslexia by combining large genetic screenings for quantitative measures followed by gene function characterization[3][8]. In 2008, while working at the University of Oxford, she carried out a study on reading abilities in a cohort of 7 to 9 years old British children. The research established that the same variants of the KIAA0319 gene, already associated with dyslexia[9], affect the ability to read, even in the absence of a formal diagnosis of dyslexia [10]. In 2014 she proposed that the same mechanisms that establish left/right asymmetry in the body (e.g. Nodal signaling and ciliogenesis) also play a role in the development of brain asymmetry and contribute to handedness [11][12]. She also contributed to the largest study of human handedness in the world giving the best estimate of 10.6% for left-handedness[13].

Honours and prizes

In 2019, Paracchini featured in the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Women in Science in Scotland exhibition, which celebrated some of Scotland’s leading female scientists[18].

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References
  1. "Silvia Paracchini: Dyslexia and Genetics - Nuffield Department of Medicine". www.ndm.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  2. "Public Engagement – Why are some people left handed? | School of Medicine". medicine.st-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  3. "Science Scotland". www.sciencescotland.org. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  4. "Being a woman in science: Changed times? – University of Edinburgh's Science Magazine". Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  5. "Dr. Silvia Paracchini - AcademiaNet". www.academia-net.org. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  6. "Dyslexia gene is carried by 15% of population". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  7. "Silvia Paracchini | Royal Society". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  8. "Neurogenetics Research Group". Neurogenetics. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  9. Paracchini S, Thomas A, Castro S, Lai C, Paramasivam M, Wang Y, Keating B J, Taylor J M, Hacking D F, Scerri T, Francks C, Richardson A J, Wade-Martins R, Stein J F, Knight J C, Copp A J, LoTurco J, Monaco A P (15 May 2006). "The chromosome 6p22 haplotype associated with dyslexia reduces the expression of KIAA0319 , a novel gene involved in neuronal migration". Human Molecular Genetics. 15 (10): 1659–1666. doi:10.1093/hmg/ddl089. PMID 16600991.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  10. Silvia Paracchini, Colin D. Steer, Lyn-Louise Buckingham. Andrew P. Morris, Susan Ring, Thomas Scerri, John Stein, Marcus E. Pembrey, Jiannis Ragoussis,Jean Golding,Anthony P. Monaco (1 December 2008). "Association of the KIAA0319 Dyslexia Susceptibility Gene With Reading Skills in the General Population". The American Journal of Psychiatry. 165 (12): 1576–1584. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.07121872. PMID 18829873.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  11. William M. Brandler, Andrew P. Morris, David M. Evans,Thomas S. Scerri, John P. Kemp, Nicholas J. Timpson, Beate St Pourcain, George Davey Smith, Susan M. Ring, John Stein, Anthony P. Monaco, Joel B. Talcott, Simon E. Fisher, Caleb Webber, Silvia Paracchini (12 September 2013). "Common Variants in Left/Right Asymmetry Genes and Pathways Are Associated with Relative Hand Skill". PLOS Genetics. 9 (9): e1003751. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1003751. PMC 3772043. PMID 24068947.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  12. Brandler WM, Paracchini S (2014). "The genetic relationship between handedness and neurodevelopmental disorders". Trends in Molecular Medicine. 20 (2): 83–90. doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2013.10.008. PMC 3969300. PMID 24275328.
  13. Papadatou-Pastou M, Ntolka E, Schmitz J, Martin M, Munafo MR, Ocklenburg O, Paracchini S (2020). "Human handedness: A meta-analysis". Psychol Bull. 146 (6): 481–524. doi:10.1037/bul0000229. PMID 32237881.
  14. "European Society of Human Genetics: Young Investigator Award Winners". www.eshg.org. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  15. "YAS Members - Silvia Paracchini". www.youngacademyofscotland.org.uk. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  16. "Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology - University of St Andrews". risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  17. "Dr Silvia Paracchini FRSE". The Royal Society of Edinburgh. 2019-03-15. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  18. "Women in Science Exhibition". The Royal Society of Edinburgh. 2019-04-15. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
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