Peter Keightley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Keightley
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Keightley in 2014
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Peter D. Keightley
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| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Awards | FRS (2014) |
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| Institutions | University of Edinburgh |
| Thesis | Studies of quantitative genetic variation (1989) |
| Doctoral advisor | William G. Hill, also influenced by Henrik Kacser |
Peter D. Keightley is a British geneticist. He is a Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He studies how living things change over time.
Studying Genetics
Peter Keightley went to the University of Edinburgh for his studies. He earned his PhD degree there in 1989. His research was about how genetic differences appear in living things. His main teacher was William G. Hill.
During his PhD, he worked with another scientist, Henrik Kacser. They wrote an important paper about something called genetic dominance. This is about how some genes can hide the effects of other genes.
Exploring Evolution and Genes
Professor Keightley leads a special lab. His team studies evolutionary genetics. This field looks at how new changes in DNA (called mutations) affect living things. They also study how these changes impact traits and how well an organism can survive.
His research explores genetic variation and how living things adapt. They do this by looking closely at the DNA of different species. They also study DNA changes within groups of the same species.
His work has received funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). This organization helps pay for science research in the UK.
Awards and Recognition
In 2014, Peter Keightley was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
His nomination said he is a top expert in evolutionary genetics. It mentioned his important work on how traits are passed down and how molecules evolve. He uses a mix of computer models, experiments, and bioinformatics (using computers to understand biological data). This makes his work very creative and successful.
His research has helped answer big questions in genetics and evolution. He is especially known for studying how new mutations affect an organism's fitness (its ability to survive and reproduce). His work has helped scientists better understand how often harmful mutations happen in an organism's entire genome (all its DNA).
Images for kids
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Professor Peter Keightley in 2014
