We are privileged to have several excellent population cohorts in Scotland. Such cohorts are a valuable resource for health research integrating data from multiple sources. This event will introduce some key features and ethical considerations of population cohorts for research and illustrate how two different Scottish population cohorts are being used to benefit health.
We are privileged to have several excellent population cohorts in Scotland. Such cohorts are a valuable resource for health research integrating data from multiple sources. This event will introduce some key features and ethical considerations of population cohorts for research and illustrate how two different Scottish population cohorts are being used to benefit health. There will be three speakers talking for about 20-25 minutes each and time for audience questions. These talks should be of broad interest and accessible to all.
Dr Shona Kerr
Scottish research cohorts: overview and some ethical considerations
Comparing and contrasting key features of population cohorts; ethical issues around identifiability, data sharing, and returning results.
Prof Jim Wilson
VIKING Genes
Studies of the distinct gene pool of the Northern Isles of Scotland reveal new genes, genetic boundaries and consequences for health
Dr Riccardo Marioni
What can a blood sample today tell us about disease risk over the next decade?
Risk prediction to prevent or delay the onset of disease is a major goal for health research. Currently, many gold standard predictors for cardiovascular disease, heart attack or stroke, and Alzheimer’s dementia use a mix of self-report and clinical variables. However, it is highly likely that we can improve on this by the integration of omics data. This includes the incorporation of genetic data (which remains fixed throughout life) as well as dynamic blood-based measures, such as DNA methylation (chemical edits to DNA that help turn genes on and off) and protein levels. I will describe some of our recent work in this area. Using data from 10,000 participants from the Generation Scotland study, we explored how DNA methylation and proteins can be used to predict future risk of 12 major diseases (over 15 years of follow-up). The disease data is captured through ongoing data linkage to electronic health records from both primary (GP) and secondary care (hospital) data.
Dr Shona Kerr, MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh
Prof Jim Wilson, Centre for Global Health Research and MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh
Dr Riccardo Marioni, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, University of Edinburgh