Markus M. Nothen is a Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The focus of his work is to investigate genetic mechanisms of common multifactorial diseases as well as disease-associated quantitative measures (eg eQTLs). In addition to formal genetic studies, the expertise is to use large-scale molecular genetic studies to identify disease-associated genes at the molecular level. This has led to the identification of genes involved in a variety of disorders including bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, dyslexia, common forms of baldness, and cleft lip /cleft palate. He is continuously interested in understanding the complex genetic architecture of these diseases, and how this may involve gene-gene and gene-environment interactions.