Background: The research group at the Institute of Biochemistry is part of a national consortium with several academic institutions that aims to create a “Genome of reference” for Romania (ROGEN).
Research Question: We are interested to know how do genetic and biological factors influence aging and age-related diseases in the Romanian population, and how does this compare to international data resources such as the UK Biobank?
Scientific Rationale: Aging is a complex process influenced by both genetics and lifestyle. Large-scale international datasets, like the UK Biobank, provide a unique opportunity to study how these factors interact across populations. By comparing the Romanian population with this well-established reference cohort, we can identify both shared and unique patterns of aging and disease risk, ultimately contributing to better prevention and healthcare strategies in Romania.
Aims and Objectives:
1) Comparative Genomics of Aging – To identify similarities and differences in genomic and epigenomic markers of aging between the UK Biobank participants and the Romanian population.
2) Polygenic Risk Scores – To develop and adapt genetic risk scores for chronic, age-related diseases, calibrated specifically for the Romanian population.
3) Development of a Healthy Aging Clock – To build a predictive model of biological age that integrates genetic and health data, first trained on the UK Biobank and then tailored to Romania.
4) Genetic Variant Annotation – To better understand the functional significance of genetic variants found in Romanians, particularly those linked to age-related conditions.
Overall Goal: By combining the power of international data with country-specific analysis, this research aims to create new tools for understanding and predicting healthy aging in Romania.