Interests
I am an Academic Clinical Lecturer in Clinical Genetics at the University of Oxford and Specialist Registrar in Clinical Genetics at the Oxford Centre for Genomic Medicine. My research focusses on using large genomic datasets to identify and characterise rare genetic conditions and novel treatment approaches, with a particular focus on non-coding genetic variants and those affecting the musculoskeletal system. I also co-lead the Genomics England Variant Discovery and Clinical Interpretation Research Network Community, sit on the Genomics England Research Network Committee and am the trainee representative on the Skeletal Dysplasia Group committee.
Biography
I studied medicine at St Hugh’s College and completed Academic Foundation Training and Academic Clinical Fellowships in Oxford. I received my PhD from Imperial College London working on the genetic influences on bone density and osteoporosis and returned to Oxford for post-doctoral clinical and academic training in Clinical Genetics.
Teaching
I have been a Lecturer in Medicine at St Hugh’s College for a number of years, providing tutorials for clinical medical students. I have a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Recent publications
Beer Wells, E. S., De Conti, L., Kim, H. C., Rohani, N., Chundru, K., Svrzikapa, N., McClorey, G., Watts, L. M., Dawes, R., Chen, Y., Martin-Geary, A. C., Griffiths, M. J., Scott, S., Bamford, R. A., Wood, M. J., Roberts, T. C., Mill, J., Wright, C. F., Baralle, M., … Whiffin, N. (2026). Modulating splicing in 5ʹ untranslated regions to treat rare haploinsufficient disease. Genome Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13073-026-01773-0
Higham, A., Watts, L. M., Rao, D., Wordsworth, P., Hildebrand, D., Johnson, D., & Shears, D. (2025). Neuro-ophthalmic complications of endosteal hyperostosis, Worth type: the importance of ophthalmic monitoring. Ophthalmic Genetics, 46(6), 688–691. https://doi.org/10.1080/13816810.2025.2535985
Watts, L. M., Bertoli, M., Attie-Bitach, T., Roux, N., Rausell, A., Paschal, C. R., Zambonin, J. L., Curry, C. J., Martin, B., Tooze, R. S., Hawkes, L., Kini, U., Twigg, S. R. F., & Wilkie, A. O. M. (2024). The phenotype of MEGF8-related Carpenter syndrome (CRPT2) is refined through the identification of eight new patients. European Journal of Human Genetics, 32(7), 864–870. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41431-024-01624-9
Watts, L. M., Bunyan, D. J., Giacopuzzi, E., Walker, S., Gazdagh, G., Thomas, N. S., Straub, V., Childs, A.-M., Forsyth, J., Vogt, J., Khan, S., Willis, T. A., Taylor, J. C., & Pagnamenta, A. T. (2024). FILIP1-associated neuromuscular disorder and phenotypic blending due to paternal UPD6. Brain Communications, 6(5), fcae330. https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcae330
Watts, L. M., Chang, M. S. M., Lewis-Orr, E., Walton, I. S., Leinhos, L., Tooze, R. S., Pei, Y., Calpena, E., Vedovato-Dos-Santos, J. H., Steel, D., Reid, K. M., Kurian, M. A., Mohammad, S. S., Cantagrel, V., Siquier, K., Boddaert, N., Rio, M., Blyth, M., Kraus, A., … Twigg, S. R. F. (2026). Expanding the phenotypic spectrum associated with ZIC1 variants: A neurodevelopmental disorder with and without craniosynostosis. Genetics in Medicine : Official Journal of the American College of Medical Genetics, 28(6), 102585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gim.2026.102585
Watts, L. M., Kinning, E., Latner, D. R., Johnston, M., Patrick-Esteve, J., Cooper, G. M., Twigg, S. R. F., Pagnamenta, A. T., & Taylor, J. C. (2025). Biallelic FGF4 Variants Linked to Thoracic Dystrophy and Respiratory Insufficiency. Clinical Genetics. https://doi.org/10.1111/cge.14758
Watts, L. M., Sparkes, P. C., Dewhurst, H. F., Guilfoyle, S. E., Pollard, A. S., Komla-Ebri, D., Butterfield, N. C., Williams, G. R., & Bassett, J. H. D. (2025). The GWAS candidate far upstream element binding protein 3 (FUBP3) is required for normal skeletal growth, and adult bone mass and strength in mice. Bone, 195, 117472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bone.2025.117472
