Wilkie's research investigates genetic disorders affecting the skull and limbs, especially craniosynostosis[8] – premature fusion of the sutures of the skull. He identified the genemutation responsible for Apert syndrome and the molecular pathways underlying this and other craniosynostosis conditions. These results have led to many clinical diagnostic tests.[4][9]
Wilkie's discovery that the mutation causing Apert syndrome was more common than expected led him to develop the 'selfish selection' theory, which states that there is a proliferation or survival advantage for some mutations in the testis. Over time, sperm-generating cells carrying such mutations become prevalent, explaining why some conditions are more common in children born to older fathers.[4]
^Woledge, R. C. (2001). "Douglas Robert Wilkie. 2 October 1922 – 21 May 1998: Elected F.R.S. 1971". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 47: 481–495. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2001.0029. PMID15124650. S2CID73160587.