Saints Spotlight: Professor Silvia Paracchini
Professor Silvia Paracchini is a human geneticist working in the field of human complex diseases with focus on dyslexia, handedness and neurodevelopmental traits. In this month’s Saints Spotlight she discusses her ongoing research through conducting large-scale genetic screenings and her recent co-founding of the Specific Learning Difficulties Network (SLDN).
How did your St Andrews story start?
In 2011, after a relatively long post-doc at the University of Oxford, I felt it was time for me to set up my own group. While looking for opportunities, I applied for a job at the University of St Andrews. Although I was not planning to move to Scotland, the job description was in such alignment with my profile that it seemed wrong to ignore it. It was a sunny day in March when I arrived for my interview. After the initial shock of getting off the train in Leuchars, I was blown away by St Andrews’ stunning scenery, and it was love at first sight. I still feel very lucky to have been offered the job. Now I would find it very difficult to imagine living anywhere else.
What are your current priorities at the University?
My number one priority is to keep my research going, which, as for most in this business, means securing funding, attracting talented and motivated team members and publishing high-quality work. I am also the Co-Director of the MSc in Health Data Science, and I am focused on running this course smoothly.
What is the focus of your research at St Andrews?
In a nutshell, my work is aimed at identifying genetic risk factors for language-related conditions, such as dyslexia. This involves conducting large-scale genetic screenings, including part of an international and multidisciplinary project. More recently, I co-founded the Specific Learning Difficulties Network (SLDN) to coordinate research around difficulties in reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia) and mathematics (dyscalculia) at a national level.
Tell us about your proudest achievement.
The rapid and growing success of the SLDN is a recent and impactful achievement. Looking back, I am quite proud to have set up and led (2012-2020) the bioinformatics core support here at St Andrews, which is still supporting the work of many St Andrews researchers. However, nothing can beat the feeling of winning the 2014 edition of the School of Medicine Fantasy Six Nations.
Where is your favourite spot in St Andrews?
East Sands for swimming and West Sands for running. We are really lucky to live in such a beautiful place.