Associate Professor Iona Millwood
Iona Millwood
DPhil
Associate Professor; Deputy Director of Graduate Studies
Iona co-leads a Genetic Epidemiology module for the MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology. She joined the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU) in 2009, to work on the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB), including designing and conducting genomic and multi-omic assays to enhance and develop the CKB resources.
Her current research interests focus on using genetic and molecular epidemiology to understand the aetiology of cardio-metabolic and other chronic diseases, using genetic approaches to identify and evaluate potential drug targets, and investigating the role of infection in cancer risk, and the health effects of alcohol consumption.
Iona completed an undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge and a DPhil in Molecular Genetics at the University of Oxford. She worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Imperial College London, on large-scale genetic epidemiological projects including the Northern Finland Birth Cohorts. Iona also spent several years as a Lecturer at the University of New South Wales, Australia, developing and conducting clinical trials for biomedical methods of HIV prevention in Australia and South-East Asia.
Recent publications
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Comparative studies of 2168 plasma proteins measured by two affinity-based platforms in 4000 Chinese adults.
Wang B. et al, (2025), Nat Commun, 16
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Associations Between Snoring, Body Mass Index and Coronary Artery Diseases: Observational and Mendelian Randomization Study in Asia.
Zhu Y. et al, (2025), Respirology
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Adiposity and risks of gastrointestinal cancers: A 10-year prospective study of 0.5 million Chinese adults.
Chan WC. et al, (2024), Int J Cancer
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Comparison of models to predict incident chronic liver disease: a systematic review and external validation in Chinese adults.
Cong X. et al, (2024), BMC Med, 22
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Phenotypic vs. Genetic Mismatch of BMI and Type 2 Diabetes: Evidence from Two Perspective Cohort Studies.
Li A. et al, (2024), Diabetes