Approved Research

Life-course risk factors and development of chronic diseases and cancer: multi-omics analyses

Lay summary

This proposed research project aims to examine the role of lifestyle and environmental risk factors at different life stages and how they combined with genetic factors to influence the development of chronic diseases and cancer. The project was designed based on the gaps that previous studies have mainly focused on investigating risk factors at individual time point of life stage, neglecting their interaction and cumulative effects across the life time in the development of chronic diseases. Besides, most of precious studies failed to evaluate the health influence of environment and lifestyle factors on disease among population with different genetic background, which the later may influence individual susceptibility to the risk factors. To address these gaps, the researchers are now applying for data of the UK Biobank, and the project will be finished within three years. By using life-course research strategies, the project may help to understand the process of disease development, and provide important new evidence for the prevention of chronic diseases and cancers, including define the critical time window and genetically sensitive population of adverse exposure, and find key biomarkers in the development of disease. The information may help to predict of disease risk in the early stage of life and to develop strategies in the prevention of chronic diseases and cancer.