Sir Peter Harper, CBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 (born 1939) is University Research Professor (Emeritus) in Human Genetics at Cardiff University

Cardiff University

Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...

. His work has focused on researching neurogenetics

Neurogenetics

Neurogenetics studies the role of genetics in the development and function of the nervous system. It considers neural characteristics as phenotypes , and is mainly based on the observation that the nervous systems of individuals, even of those belonging to the same species, may not be identical...

 and has resulted in important discoveries concerning muscular dystrophies

Muscular dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...

 and Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease, chorea, or disorder , is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and dementia. It typically becomes noticeable in middle age. HD is the most common genetic cause of abnormal involuntary writhing movements called chorea...

. He was knighted in 2004 for services to medicine.

Work

Until 2004 Sir Peter was Professor of Medical Genetics at the University of Wales College of Medicine

University of Wales College of Medicine

The University of Wales College of Medicine was a medical school based in the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, that formed a part of the University of Wales...

, Cardiff

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

. He helped to develop the Wales Medical Genetics Service and has been a member of the UK Human Genetics Commission and Advisory Committee on Genetic testing. He was a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics

Nuffield Council on Bioethics

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is a UK-based independent charitable body, which examines and reports on ethical issues raised by new advances in biological and medical research...

2004-2010.

Books

• Practical Genetic Counselling, 1998 Hodder Arnold
• Myotonic Dystrophy: The Facts, 2002
• Landmarks in Medical Genetics, 2004 OUP
• First Years of Human Chromosomes, 2006 Scion Press
• A Short History of Medical Genetics, 2008. OUP