Anna Murray

Anna Murray is a British biologist who is Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on the genetics underlying the reproductive ageing of women, including the timing of menopause.

Early life and education Murray studied biology at the University of Southampton. She remained there for her doctoral research, investigating the coeliac disease and T-cell lymphoma. Murray moved to the Wessex Regional Genetics Laboratory, where she worked with Patricia Jacobs on Fragile X syndrome. Her work on the association of premature ovarian failure with fragile X syndrome led her to working on the genetics of reproductive ageing. Murray was supported was supported by a Career Development Fellowship from the Wellcome Trust to explore how fragile X impacted ovarian health.

Research and career Murray was appointed a lecturer at the University of Exeter in 2008. Her main expertise is in the field of reproductive ageing. She leads genome-wide approaches to identify the genetic basis of reproductive ageing, including menopause timing, premature ovarian insufficiency, and related reproductive traits.

Murray led early efforts to use genome-wide approaches to study reproductive ageing as a complex trait. Such studies were made possible by the formation of the ReproGen international consortium. Since 2012, she has led genome-wide studies that have significantly advanced understanding of the common genetic basis of reproductive ageing.

In 2024 Murray led a study investigating the contribution of rare coding genetic variants to ovarian ageing in more than 100,000 women in the UK Biobank. She identified that DNA damage repair is a key biological pathway, suggesting potential treatments for early menopause, and links between reproductive lifespan, cancer susceptibility and germline mutation processes.

In 2024, Murray was awarded a £5.6m Wellcome Discovery Award to advance understanding of the biological mechanisms behind ovarian development, reproductive ageing and ovarian diseases.

Academic service Murray set up the University of Exeter MSc Genomic Medicine programme in 2016.

Selected publications