Approved Research

The analysis of genetic links among socioeconomics, healthy aging, and disease prevention

Lay summary

Our research questions are to analyze the phenotypic and genetic links among socioeconomic factors, aging, physical characteristics, mental health, and diseases. First, we will explore important socioeconomic behaviors and events that have short-term and/or long-term influences on human health (Aim1). Second, we will use different statistical approaches to understand the genetic links between socioeconomic behaviors and late-onset diseases (Aim2). Finally, a joint prediction model will be developed for aging patterns and late-onset diseases progression using related genetic and socioeconomic factors (Aim3).

We would like to include multi-organ imaging data in this project, which can serve as endophenotypes that allow us to better understand the connections between environmental factors (such as socioeconomic behaviors) and health/diseases. Gievn the fact that multi-organ imaging data are only collected from a subset of UK Biobank subjects and are heritable, we will first try to impute these multi-organ imaging biomarkers using genetic information.