Silvia Paracchini
{{short description|Geneticist and researcher}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
Silvia Paracchini FRSE is a Professor of Neurogenetics and Genomics at the University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on the genetics of neurodevelopmental traits such as dyslexia and human handedness. Paracchini featured in the Royal Society of Edinburgh's 2019 Women in Science in Scotland exhibition, which celebrated some of Scotland’s leading female scientists. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Education
As an undergraduate, Paracchini studied Biological Sciences at the University of Pavia, Italy. During this time she undertook an ERASMUS scholarship project at the Technical University of Denmark.{{Cite web|url=https://eusci.org.uk/2019/04/27/being-a-woman-in-science-changed-times/|title=Being a woman in science: Changed times? – University of Edinburgh's Science Magazine|date=27 April 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-05}} She obtained her DPhil in Human Genetics from the University of Oxford in 2003.
Career and research
After obtaining her doctorate, Paracchini held a post-doctoral research position with the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics from 2003 to 2011.{{Cite web|url=http://www.academia-net.org/profil/dr-silvia-paracchini/1353612|title=Dr. Silvia Paracchini - AcademiaNet|website=www.academia-net.org|access-date=2019-06-05}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/health/dyslexia-gene-is-carried-by-15-of-population-28454184.html|title=Dyslexia gene is carried by 15% of population|work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk|access-date=2019-06-05|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}} In 2011, she was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.{{Cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org/people/silvia-paracchini-7867/|title=Silvia Paracchini {{!}} Royal Society|website=royalsociety.org|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-06-05}} Her research group at the University of St Andrews School of Medicine explores the genetic underpinnings of human behavioural traits like handedness, and neurodevelopment disorders like dyslexia by combining large genetic screenings for quantitative measures followed by gene function characterization.{{Cite web |title=Neurogenetics. Silvia Paracchini research group |url=https://neurogenetics.st-andrews.ac.uk/ |access-date=2024-01-06}} She also contributed to the largest study of human handedness in the world giving the best estimate of 10.6% for left-handedness.{{Cite journal|vauthors=Papadatou-Pastou M, Ntolka E, Schmitz J, Martin M, Munafo MR, Ocklenburg O, Paracchini S|title=Human handedness: A meta-analysis|journal=Psychol Bull |year=2020 |volume=146|issue=6|pages=481–524|doi=10.1037/bul0000229|pmid=32237881|s2cid=214768754 |url=http://psyarxiv.com/5gjac/|hdl=1983/f9605b8a-435a-4851-a329-948707b4e88d|hdl-access=free}}
= Honours and prizes =
- 2005 European Society of Human Genetics, Young Investigator Award for Outstanding Science{{Cite web|url=https://www.eshg.org/index.php?id=102|title=European Society of Human Genetics: Young Investigator Award Winners|website=www.eshg.org|access-date=2019-06-05}}
- 2011 Royal Society University Research Fellowship
- 2014 Member of the Young Academy of Scotland{{Cite web|url=https://www.youngacademyofscotland.org.uk/members/silviaparacchini.html|title=YAS Members - Silvia Paracchini|website=www.youngacademyofscotland.org.uk|access-date=2019-06-05}}
- 2018 Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology{{Cite web|url=https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/prizes/fellow-of-the-royal-society-of-biology(362bc9dc-6185-4c34-b343-a321752fb80c).html|title=Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology - University of St Andrews|website=risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk|access-date=2019-06-05}}
- 2019 Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh{{Cite book|title=RSE The Royal Society of Edinburgh Directory 2019/2020|publisher=The RSE Scotland Foundation|location=Edinburgh|ISSN=1476-4334|page=47,203}}
In 2019, Paracchini featured in the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Women in Science in Scotland exhibition, which celebrated some of Scotland’s leading female scientists.{{Cite web |date=2019-04-15 |title=Women in Science Exhibition |url=https://rse.org.uk/whats-on/exhibition/women-science-exhibition/dr-silvia-paracchini/ |access-date=11 April 2025 |website=The Royal Society of Edinburgh |language=en-GB}}
References
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Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Biology