![Isabella Willcocks MSc, PhD, AFHEA](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/7341?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Isabella Willcocks
(she/her)
MSc, PhD, AFHEA
Research Associate, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
I’m a research associate in the psychosis research theme at the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics (CNGG). My work focuses on uncovering the role of common genetic variation in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and exploring how it differs from non-treatment-resistant forms of the condition. Through various bioinformatic techniques, I aim to advance our understanding of why some individuals respond to treatment while others don’t and pave the way for more effective, personalised therapies for people living with schizophrenia
Publication
2024
- Baune, B. T. et al. 2024. A stratified treatment algorithm in psychiatry: a program on stratified pharmacogenomics in severe mental illness (Psych-STRATA): concept, objectives and methodologies of a multidisciplinary project funded by Horizon Europe. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience (10.1007/s00406-024-01944-3)
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)
Articles
- Baune, B. T. et al. 2024. A stratified treatment algorithm in psychiatry: a program on stratified pharmacogenomics in severe mental illness (Psych-STRATA): concept, objectives and methodologies of a multidisciplinary project funded by Horizon Europe. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience (10.1007/s00406-024-01944-3)
- 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)
Thesis
- Willcocks, I. 2022. The genomic stratification of schizophrenia. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
Research
Research Interests
My research focuses on the genetics of severe mental illnesses, particularly treatment-resistant schizophrenia. I aim to uncover how common genetic variation influences treatment response, paving the way for more personalised approaches to clinical care. My work sits at the intersection of bioinformatics, psychiatry, and genomics, exploring the genetic underpinnings of psychosis and how they can inform clinical outcomes.
Current Projects
I am a researcher on Psych-STRATA, a multi-centre international project funded by Horizon Europe. This ambitious initiative examines treatment response across schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. By identifying genetic factors that drive treatment resistance, we hope to develop tools for precision psychiatry that improve outcomes for individuals with these conditions.
Collaborations
As a registered analyst with the Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC), I have contributed to large-scale efforts to uncover the genetic architecture of schizophrenia.
Teaching
I am involved in teaching on the MSc in Bioinformatics and Genomics program offered by the School of Medicine. Within the Bioinformatics module (MET583), I focus on equipping students with practical skills in genomic data analysis.
My teaching includes guiding students through the use of PLINK, a widely used tool for whole-genome association studies and population-based analyses. I also provide instruction on conducting Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a critical technique for exploring population structure and reducing dimensionality in genetic datasets.
Biography
I completed a BSc in Neuroscience, followed by an MSc in Molecular Neuroscience at the University of Bristol, where I developed a strong foundation in the biological underpinnings of mental health. In 2018, I commenced my PhD at the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics (CNGG), funded by the MRC, under the supervision of Professor James Walters and Dr Antonio Pardiñas. My doctoral research focused on the genomic stratification of schizophrenia, investigating how grouping participants into more homogenous subgroups can advance personalised medicine for this complex condition.
Currently, my research is part of Psych-STRATA, a multi-centre international project funded by Horizon Europe. I focus on understanding common genetic variation in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, aiming to bridge the gap between genetic discoveries and their translation into better-targeted therapies.
Honours and awards
Shortlisted for the Lesley Jones Student Excellence Award in 2023
Guarantors of Brain 2023: ECR Travel Award
Genetics Society 2023: ECR Travel Award
WCPG 2022: Early Career Investigator Program Poster Finalist
Contact Details
Research themes
Specialisms
- Schizophrenia
- Treatment Resistance