Aims: In this study, we aim to examine the association between environmental exposure and human organ aging leveraging the large-scale longitudinal data in UK Biobank.
Scientific rationale: Biological aging is a complex biological process influenced by genetic predisposition, age, chronic disease, environmental, and behavioral factors. Emerging studies started to examine the potential link between accelerated aging and increased risk of diseases. However, significant knowledge gaps remain: 1) whether exposure to environmental risk factors is associated with accelerated organ aging; 2) what are the underlying potential mechanisms for the associations. The emergence of omics data presents a promising avenue to address these gaps. Additionally, with the increasing availability of genome wide association study (GWAS) data, employing causal inference methods can validate our assumptions and enhance our understanding of these complex associations.
Project duration: We anticipate the project duration to be 36 months.
Public health impact: The finding of our project will help to identify high-risk individuals, which might be of great value for early intervention.