Prof (PhD) Chris Ponting

Prof Chris Ponting is Chair of Medical Bioinformatics and a Principal Investigator at the MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer in Edingburgh, UK. Previously, he worked at the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NIH, Bethesda, Mayland, US), and researched at the University of Oxford. His research group has made substantial contributions to protein science, evolutionary biology, genetics and genomics. He is part of the management group and co-investigator of DecodeME, the world’s largest genetic study of ME/CFS, which analyses DNA from participants to identify genetic risk factors and biological pathways underlying the illness. This collaborative project - developed with patients, charities, and researchers - marks a major step toward understanding the biological basis of ME/CFS and reducing stigma associated with the disease. His current project focuses on the development of blood-based biomarkers for diagnosing ME/CFS.