Peter McGuffin
Encyclopedia
Peter McGuffin is a psychiatric
geneticist
from Belfast
, Northern Ireland
.
After emigrating with his parents at aged 10 to the Isle of Wight
, he first decided that he wanted to be a psychiatrist at the age of 16 after coming across Freud’s
Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, in a local public library. He attended medical school at the University of Leeds
, England
where he graduated in 1972 and then received postgraduate training in internal medicine
. It was at this stage that he became interested in genetics and had his first publications on immunogenetic
aspects of coronary heart disease
. He transferred this interest to psychiatric disorders and carried out one of the first genetic marker association studies on schizophrenia
.
He completed his training as a psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital
, London
and was awarded a Medical Research Council
Fellowship to study genetics at the University of London
and at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri
. He subsequently became an MRC Senior Clinical Fellow at the Maudsley and the Institute of Psychiatry
and then took up the Chair of Psychological Medicine at the University of Wales
College of Medicine in Cardiff
in 1987. He succeeded Prof Sir Michael Rutter
as Director of the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry in October 1998. Despite his very early Freudian leanings, McGuffin’s research, his books and papers have been mainly on the genetics of normal and abnormal behavior. In 2007 he became the Dean of the Institute of Psychiatry.
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
geneticist
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
After emigrating with his parents at aged 10 to the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, he first decided that he wanted to be a psychiatrist at the age of 16 after coming across Freud’s
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, in a local public library. He attended medical school at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he graduated in 1972 and then received postgraduate training in internal medicine
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
. It was at this stage that he became interested in genetics and had his first publications on immunogenetic
Immunogenetics
Immunogenetics is the branch of medical research that explores the relationship between the immune system and genetics.Autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, are complex genetic traits which result from defects in the immune system. Identification of genes defining the immune defects may...
aspects of coronary heart disease
Coronary heart disease
Coronary artery disease is the end result of the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the coronary arteries that supply the myocardium with oxygen and nutrients. It is sometimes also called coronary heart disease...
. He transferred this interest to psychiatric disorders and carried out one of the first genetic marker association studies on schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
.
He completed his training as a psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital
Maudsley Hospital
The Maudsley Hospital is a British psychiatric hospital in South London. The Maudsley is the largest mental health training institution in the country...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and was awarded a Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
Fellowship to study genetics at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He subsequently became an MRC Senior Clinical Fellow at the Maudsley and the Institute of Psychiatry
Institute of Psychiatry
The Institute of Psychiatry is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways to prevent them in the first place...
and then took up the Chair of Psychological Medicine at the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
College of Medicine in 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...
in 1987. He succeeded Prof Sir Michael Rutter
Michael Rutter
For the motorcycle racer, see Michael Rutter Sir Michael L. Rutter is the first consultant of child psychiatry in the United Kingdom. He has been described as the "father of child psychology"...
as Director of the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry in October 1998. Despite his very early Freudian leanings, McGuffin’s research, his books and papers have been mainly on the genetics of normal and abnormal behavior. In 2007 he became the Dean of the Institute of Psychiatry.
Publications
- Behavioral Genetics in the Postgenomic Era, by Robert PlominRobert PlominRobert Plomin is an American psychologist best known for his work in twin studies and behavior genetics. Plomin has made two of the most important discoveries in that field. First, he has shown the importance of non-shared environment, a term that he coined to refer to the environmental reasons...
, John C. DeFriesJohn C. DeFriesJohn C. DeFries is one of the world's leading behavior geneticists. His achievements include being President of the Behavior Genetics Association and cofounder of the journal Behavior Genetics, as well as its co-editor...
, Ian W. Craig, and Peter McGuffin - Behavioral Genetics by John C. DeFries, Peter McGuffin, Gerald E. McClearn, and Robert Plomin
- Beyond Nature and Nurture in Psychiatry, by James MacCabe, Owen O'Daly, Robin MurrayRobin MurraySir Robin MacGregor Murray is Professor of Psychiatric Research at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London, United Kingdom.. He also sees patients with schizophrenia and bipolar illness at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust. He is originally from Glasgow.He is part of The Psychosis...
, and Peter McGuffin - Psychiatric Genetics and Genomics, by Peter McGuffin, Michael J. Owen, and Irving I. GottesmanIrving I. GottesmanIrving I. Gottesman is a psychiatric geneticist who devoted most of his career to the study of the genetics of schizophrenia. The Web of Science lists over 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals that have been cited over 8000 times, with an h-index of 47...
- Measuring Psychopathology, by Anne Farmer, Peter McGuffin, and Julie Williams
- The Essentials of Postgraduate Psychiatry, by J. L. T. Birley, Robin Murray, Peter Hill, and Peter McGuffin
- The New Genetics of Mental Illness, by Peter McGuffin and Robin Murray
- Schizophrenia: The Major Issues, by Paul Bebbington and Peter McGuffin
- The Essentials of Psychiatry, by Robin Murray, Ken Kendler, Peter McGuffin, and Simon Wessely