Rate My Professor Sonia Shah

Associate Professor Sonia Shah is a prominent researcher at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, where she leads the Genomics in Health group as a National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in cardiovascular genetics from University College London and a Masters of Science from The University of Manchester. Shah commenced her postdoctoral research at the Queensland Brain Institute under Professor Peter Visscher in 2013. Between 2016 and 2018, she served as lead analyst for the International Heart Failure Genetics Consortium (HERMES), contributing to the largest published genome-wide association study on heart failure. In 2018, she was awarded an NHMRC Early Career Researcher Fellowship under the mentorship of Professor Naomi Wray to explore the genetic relationships between cardiovascular and brain-related disorders using large-scale data. Her career trajectory reflects a commitment to translating genomic insights into clinical advancements, particularly for underrepresented populations.

Shah's research harnesses large-scale genomic data to bridge knowledge gaps in cardiovascular disease, with a focus on improving prevention, management, and treatment equity for women and diverse ancestries. She leads the South Asian Genes and Health in Australia (SAGHA) study to enhance representation of South Asians in genomic research and collaborates on initiatives such as the AMBER study examining antidepressant mechanisms and genomic assessments for liver transplants. Key publications include the seminal heart failure GWAS (Shah et al., Nature Communications, 2020), polygenic contributions to familial hypercholesterolemia influencing UK NICE guidelines (Talmud et al., The Lancet, 2013), and genome-wide DNA methylation analyses predicting health outcomes (Marioni et al., Genome Biology, 2015; Shah et al., American Journal of Human Genetics, 2015). Her work has shaped clinical practices, including polygenic testing in UK diagnostics and citations in the NHS Chief Medical Officer's genomics report. Shah's accolades encompass the 2024 Australian Academy of Science Ruth Stephens Gani Medal for genetics research, 2023 Nature Inspiring Women in Science global finalist and Lifesciences QLD Rose-Anne Kelso Award, 2022 Queensland Young Tall Poppy and UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards, and 2021/2022 Superstar of STEM recognition. She serves on the HERMES executive committee, advancing international collaborations in heart failure genetics.