Dear Listers,
Did you know that historical patterns of people's movements, from
Anglo-Saxon invasions to those of the Vikings and Normans, may have an
impact on 21st Century medical science?
A research group from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Oxford
University has been given funding by the Wellcome Trust "...to collect blood
samples from 3,500 people from rural populations throughout the British
Isles. These will be used to look at the patterns of differences in people's
genetic make up around the UK. The project will have two purposes, the first
to help medical research, and the second to shed light on ancient migrations
within the British Isles."
Full details of the project, known as 'People of the British Isles', are set
out on the project website, but basically, the plan is to collect blood
samples from between 100 and 150 people from about 30 different rural
regions throughout the UK.
"To try and make sure that the sample is representative of the area
throughout the ages, we are looking for people whose parents and
grandparents were all born in the same locality".
**If you can trace all four of your grandparents to the same local area**,
the project team would like to hear from you. Ultimately, they would require
about half an hour of your time to fill in a brief questionnaire and consent
form, and for you to donate about 20ml of blood.
To meet with volunteers from Wales, and collect their blood samples, the
team will be at the Royal Welsh Show near Builth Wells on the 20th-23rd
July, and at the Pembrokeshire County Show near Haverfordwest on the
18th-20th August.
If you are interested in taking part in this research, and if you meet the
ancestral criteria mentioned above, please contact Tammy Day at
tammy.day(a)clinpharm.ox.ac.uk
The project website is at
http://www.peopleofthebritishisles.org/
Kind regards,
John
--------------------
John Ball, Brecon, Mid-Wales, UK
E-mail: john(a)jlb2005.plus.com
Joint Administrator - Powys (& BRE/MGY/RAD) RootsWeb mailing lists
John's Homepage:
http://www.jlb2005.plus.com/
Images of Wales:
http://www.jlb2005.plus.com/walespic/
Welsh Family History Archive:
http://www.jlb2005.plus.com/wales/
GENUKI Breconshire Maintainer:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/BRE/