Gruffydd Behnan

Griff is a PhD student in the MacFarlane group at the MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge. His research focuses on how genetic variation influences individual susceptibility to rare adverse drug reactions, with an emphasis on mitochondrial dysfunction in idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury. This project is funded by the MRC Integrative Toxicology Training Partnership (ITTP) in collaboration with AstraZeneca.

He earned a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology from the University of Liverpool in 2022, during which he received funding from the British Toxicology Society to undertake a summer studentship at the MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science. There, he investigated the impact of anti-epileptic drugs on mitochondrial function.

Griff continued his studies at the University of Liverpool, completing a Master’s of Research in Biomedical Science and Translational Medicine in 2023. His master’s thesis explored how inter-individual mitochondrial variation influences the expression of drug-metabolising enzymes and its subsequent impact on drug toxicity.

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (iDILI) is a rare and unpredictable adverse drug reaction that, when severe, poses a substantial threat to patient morbidity and mortality. In addition to immune-mediated factors, mitochondrial perturbation and dysfunction is thought to play a key role in its aetiology. Griff's research focuses on deepening our understanding of mitochondrial toxicity in iDILI. By integrating in vitro toxicology studies with patient-derived cell models and advanced sequencing technologies, he aims to uncover novel mechanistic insights. The broader objective of his work is to contribute to advancing precision medicine and personalised healthcare.