Research question
Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory conditions are the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite their impact, the biological mechanisms underlying these diseases remain incompletely understood. In particular, the role of genetic variation and circulating proteins in driving disease onset and progression has not been fully characterised in large-scale populations.
Objectives
To identify genetic variants associated with the incidence and prognosis of major chronic diseases.
To investigate how plasma protein levels are linked to these diseases and whether proteins mediate the effects of genetic risk.
To explore shared genomic and proteomic signatures that explain why different chronic diseases often occur together (comorbidity).
To develop predictive models that integrate genomic and proteomic data for assessing individual and population-level risk of chronic disease incidence and mortality.
Scientific rationale
Studying genomics and proteomics together offers a unique opportunity to uncover biological pathways that drive chronic disease. By leveraging the depth and scale of UK Biobank data, this project can reveal novel biomarkers and mechanisms, improve understanding of disease aetiology, and enable the development of earlier and more precise risk prediction tools. Such insights are crucial for advancing precision medicine and reducing the global health burden of chronic diseases.