Summary
I am a Research Associate in Dr Stephen Burgess's group at the MRC Biostatistics Unit where I work on leveraging human genetic data to identify and develop novel therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders.
I have had a relatively diverse career, working across academia and industry, and currently at the interface of the two. I obtained my PhD in Health Science in 2020 from the North-West University in South Africa, for my investigation of the role DNA methylation as a potential mediator of the association between urbanisation and cardiometabolic disease risk. Thereafter, I spent three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen investigating the utility of proteomic data to inform disease risk and progression. My research then shifted to drug target Mendelian randomization, first within an academic setting subsequently also within an industry-based role. I continue to work in both these settings, with learnings from engagement with stakeholders in Biotech and Pharmaceutical companies contributing to how I approach my methodological and applied research.
Research Interests
My research centres on maximising the impact that genetic insights can offer the drug development paradigm to most effectively bring medicines to patients, for the purposes of minimizing and preventing the burden of disease. I have experience conducting and communicating drug target Mendelian randomization analyses across various disease areas and target/exposure types. My current focus is on advancing the methods and application of this paradigm to inform drug development for psychiatric disorders.
Google Scholar: Héléne Toinét Cronjé - Google Scholar
Twitter/X: @htcronje
