The University of Edinburgh is looking for people with at least two grandparents who were born in the northern Scottish isles of Orkney or Shetland for a genetic study aimed at improving medical treatments.
Some 4,000 people will be invited to take part in a study, called VIKING II, that could lead to new insights into ways to prevent and treat conditions, such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and cancer.
The unique genetic identity of those with Northern Isles ancestry offers a rare opportunity to give a detailed picture on how genes are implicated in health.
According to the university, there are significant numbers of descendants from the Northern Isles living in Saskatchewan, Chicago, and Dunedin, New Zealand, among many other parts of the world.
In the case of Saskatchewan, the university is looking for help from people whose family name is Flett, Rendall or Isbister.
The study’s participants will complete an online questionnaire about their health and lifestyle. They will also submit by mail a saliva sample kit, which will be analysed by researchers, including genetic sequencing.
People who would like to take part can register their interest by visiting the VIKING II website.
