Approved Research

Common and rare genetic variation in health and kidney disease

Lay summary

The UK Biobank represents a rich data trove that incorporates health and lifestyle information about a large group, thought to be representative of the general UK population. We aim to use this information to answer the question of what drives a variety of diseases affecting the kidneys.

1. We will look for differences between the genes (instructions our body needs to develop and function) of people with and without evidence of different types of kidney disease to find out more about the causes of these conditions, including why some people are affected more severely than others.
2. For kidney diseases with many complex causes, we will look at what proportion of that disease could be attributed to genes. How are these genes causing this disease?
3. We will also take genes which are known to cause rare kidney diseases, and study whether they contribute to a lesser degree towards more common diseases. For example, we will explore the impact of genes associated with kidney disease on outcomes such as heart disease.

We hope the results of this study will enable doctors to make more accurate diagnoses and offer better treatments to people with or at risk of kidney disease.