School of Human Sciences staff profiles content store_hidden Professor Úna Fairbrother Our staff

Deputy Dean for Academic Staff Development

Biography

Una Fairbrother is a Professor of Molecular Genomics and has been at London Metropolitan University since 2006. In this time, she has been a senior lecturer, a head of subject, a head of school and now has a University wide role as Deputy Dean for Academic Staff Development. Professor Fairbrother has recently been conferred her professorship and leads a lively and productive research group focussing on complex disease, delivers specialist teaching and leads on academic staff development at the university. Prof Fairbrother brings her energy, enthusiasm and innovative ideas to all the areas she works in.

As Deputy Dean of Academic Staff development, she works hard to ensure that all staff are given the opportunity and are in the best possible position to meet the Vice Chancellor's University strategic goals. Before joining London Metropolitan University, Prof Fairbrother studied her degree at Kings College, London, her PhD at UCL and went on to carry out post doctoral research in Genetics and Genomics in UCL, at The Institute of Child Health and at Imperial College, London. Initially trained in biochemistry, she developed an interest in molecular biology, genetics and genomics, now specifically applied to human complex disease. Current external roles include editor-in-chief for Current Molecular Medicine Reports, Spinger Nature.

She is interested in supervising PhD studies in Aging, Telomeres, Oxidative Stress, Complex Disease, Exposome.

Publications

• Teaching the Teachers: Changing Research Culture by Targeted Researcher Development. Investigations June 2025
• Kidd, E., Mooruth R, Meimaridou, E., Walley, A.J. and Fairbrother, UL (2024) DNA Extraction Methodologies for Ultra Long Nanopore Sequencing to Determine Chromosome Specific Rodent Telomere Lengths ESHG presentation CN 454
• Kidd E, Meimaridou E, Williams, J, Metherell LA, Walley AJ, Fairbrother UL (2023) DNA Extraction Methods for Accurate Telomere length (TL) Measurement. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 13:1-8. doi: 10.1080/10826068.2023.2288572.
• Fairbrother UL (2023) Meet the New Editor-in Chief Current Genetic Medicine Reports 10(4):1-2 DOI:10.1007/s40142-023-00206-3
• Kidd, E., Meimaridou, E., Walley, A.J. and Fairbrother, UL. (2023) Adapted qPCR Methodology to Detect Telomere Oxidative Damage (TOD) Associated with Telomere Attrition (TA) in Murine Tissue No 5. ISHG presentation 22nd Sept (https://ishg.ie/ishg-2023-agenda
• Kidd, E., Meimaridou, E., Walley, A.J. and Fairbrother, UL. Telomere Oxidation Status (TOS) is Correlated With Relative Telomere Length (RTL) Across Different Mouse Tissues But Not With Nicotinamide Nucleotide Transhydrogenase (Nnt) 2023 ESHG presentation P140.25.
• Khanyile N, McLaren SW, Fairbrother UL. The association between the housing structure and continued breastfeeding in two Southern African Countries. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2023;82(OCE5):E291. doi:10.1017/S0029665123003907
• Kidd E, Pender J, Buxton JL, Meimaridou E, Williams J, Blakemore AIF, Gatt MJ, Walley AJ, Fairbrother UL (2020) Telomere length (TL) and oxidation in C57BL/6J mice. ESHG P03.45.C.
• Kidd E, Meimaridou E, Buxton JL, Blakemore AIF, Walley AJ, Fairbrother UL (2020) DNA Extraction Methods for Accurate Telomere length (TL) Measurement. Nature Methods (in preparation)
• Fairbrother U, Kidd ED, Malagamuwa T, Walley A, (2018): Genetics of Severe Obesity. Current Diabetes Reports https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-018-1053
• Fairbrother U, Kidd ED, Buxton JL, Le Page-Pezet J, Cohen DD, Lopez-Jaramillo P, Blakemore AIF, Walley A (2018) ‘Blood glucose, BMI and telomere length in a cohort of Colombian schoolchildren’ (Control No. 2018-A-737-ESHG)
• Kidd ED, Walley A, Buxton JL, Le Page-Pezet J, Cohen DD, Lopez-Jaramillo P, Blakemore AIF, Fairbrother U (2018) Impact of diet, household income and stress on telomere length in a cohort of Colombian schoolchildren.’ (Control No. 2018-A-746-ESHG)
• Inal JM, Fairbrother U, Heugh S (2013) Microvesiculation and disease Biochem SocTrans 41:237-240
• Laura K Towns, Marlene Attard, Andrew J Walley, Una L Fairbrother (2011) HHEX is associated with T2D in a South Asian Population. ESHG
• Laura K Towns, Marlene Attard, Andrew J Walley, Una L Fairbrother (2010) HHEX-IDE genotype is associated with birth weight in South Asians. ESHG
• De Smith, A, Walters, R, Ellis, R, Holder, S, Van Haelst, M, Brady, A, Fairbrother, U, Dattani, M, Keogh, J, Henning, E, Yeo, G, O’Rahilly, S, Froguel, P, Farooqi, I. S, Blakemore, A. (2009) A Deletion of the HBII-85 Class of Small Nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) is Associated with Hyperphagia, Obesity and Hypogonadism. Hum Mol Genet. 18:3257-65
• Laura K Towns, Marlene Attard, Andrew J Walley, Una L Fairbrother (2009) HHEX-IDE genotype is a risk factor for IUGR in South Asians. BSHG
• De Smith A, Purmann C, Walters RG, Ellis RJ, Holder SE, Van Haelst MM, Brady AF, Fairbrother UL, Dattani M, Keogh JM, Henning E, Yeo GH, O’Rahilly S, Froguel P, Farooqi SI, Blakemore AIF (2009) Elucidating the aetiology of Prader-Willi syndrome – deletion of the HBII-85 class of snoRNA is associated with hyperphagia, obesity and hypogonadism. BSHG
• Fairbrother UL, Tankó LB, Walley AJ, Christiansen C, Froguel P, Blakemore AIF (2007) Leptin Receptor Genotype at Gln223Arg is Associated with Body Composition, Bone Mineral Density and Vertebral Fracture in Postmenopausal Danish Women. JBMR 22:544-50.
• Gender Specific Modulation of Extremely Obese French Caucasian Phenotype by LEPR Coding Variants (2005) Fairbrother UL, Walley AJ, Boyle C, Tauber M, Jouret B, Jaquet D, Levy-Marchal C, Charles MA, Weill J, Froguel P, Blakemore AIF. BSHG
• Coding SNPs in the human leptin receptor gene contribute to severe obesity in French Caucasian adults (2005) Fairbrother UL, Walley AJ, Boyle C, Tauber M, Jouret B, Jaquet D, Levy-Marchal C, Charles MA, Weill J, Froguel P, Blakemore AIF. J Med Genet. 42:S116-S116
• Hitchins MP, Rickard SJ, Dhalla F, Fairbrother UL, de Vries BBA, Winter R, Pembrey ME, Malcolm S (2004) Investigation of UBE3A and MECP2 in Angelman syndrome (AS) and patients with features of AS. Am J Med Genet. 125A:167-172
• Fairbrother UL, Baptista MJ, Davies GE, Trikka D, Kessling AM (2003) Novel COL6A1 variants and congenital heart defects (CHD) in Down Syndrome (DS). Am Soc Hum Genet
• Bhat M, Becker K, Fairbrother UL, Brady AF (2002) Familial Bell's palsy in a large Pakistani kindred. 10th Manchester Birthdefect Conference.
• Fairbrother UL, Baptista MJ, Davies GE, Trikka D, Kessling AM (2001) Variations In COL6A1 Coding Region And Congenital Heart Defects In Down Syndrome. Am Soc Hum Genet
• Baptista MJ, Fairbrother UL, Howard CM, Farrer MJ, Davies GE, Trikka D, Maratou K, Redington A, Greve G, Njolstadt PR, Kessling AM (2000) Heterotrisomy, A Significant Contributing Factor To VSD Associated With Down Syndrome? Hum Genet. 107:476-482
• Fairbrother UL, Baptista MJ, Davies GE, Trikka D, Davis T, Baldock C, Kielty CM, Kessling AM (1999) Multiple functional variations in COL6A1 coding region modulate risk of congenital heart defects in Down syndrome. Am Soc Hum Genet
• Baptista MJ, Howard CM, Farrer MJ, Davies GE, Trikka D, Fairbrother UL, Kessling AM (1999) A significant contributing factor to VSD associated with Down syndrome. European Soc Hum Genet
• Fairbrother UL, Baptista MJ, Trikka D, Kessling AM (1998) Characterisation of a novel transcript: a potential candidate for congenital heart defects in Down syndrome. Am Soc Hum Genet
• Fairbrother UL, Buxton JL, Hitchins MP, Rickard SJ, Pembrey ME, Malcolm S (1997) Mutations in UBE3A (E6AP) associated with Angelman syndrome. European Soc Hum Genet
• Tyson J, Ellis D, Fairbrother UL, King RHM, Muntoni F, Jacobs J, Malcolm S, Harding AE, Thomas PK (1997) Hereditary Demyelinating Neuropathy of infancy — a genetically complex syndrome. Brain 120:47-63
• Fairbrother UL, Whitaker M (1995) Cloning of cyclin A and B in the sea urchin L.pictus. 9th Annual Sea Urchin Conference, Boston, USA
• Burley MW, Attwood J, Benham F, Fairbrother UL, Gillett G, Hunt D, Jeremiah S, Nahmias J, Edwards YH, Kwiakowski D, Tippett P, Webb D, Fryer A, Soper M, Mueller R, Osbourne J, Povey S (1993) Linkage studies in tuberous sclerosis. Cytogenet Cell Genet 64:110
• Attwood J, Nahmias J, Jeremiah S, Fairbrother UL, Wolfe J, Chiano M, Falk C, Goudie D, Haines J, Kwiakowski D, Lathorp M, Morton N, Pericakvance M, Shields S, Slaugenhaupt S, Yates J, Povey S (1993) New data and the provisional CEPH consortium Map of Chromosome 9. Cytogenet Cell Genet 64:107-10
• Love DR, Morris GE, Ellis JM, Fairbrother UL, Marsden RF, Bloomfield JF, Edwards YH, Slater CP, Parry DJ, Davies KE (1991) Tissue distribution of the dystrophin related gene product and expression in the mdx mouse. Proc Nat Acad Sci. 88:3243-3247
• Tinsley JM, Blake DJ, Roche A, Fairbrother U, Riss J, Byth BC, Knight AE, Kendrick-Jones J, Suthers GK, Love DR, Edwards YH, Davies KE (1992) Primary structure of dystrophin like protein. Nature 360:591-593
• Suthers GK, Bythe BC, Love DR, Morris GE, Edwards YH, Fairbrother UL, Slater CP, Davies KE (1991) Sequence evolution and tissue expression of the DMD Like locus (DMDL) on chromosome 6. Am J Hum Genet. 49:420-423