Musculoskeletal and respiratory diseases such as sarcopenia, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma are highly prevalent and represent significant public health burdens worldwide. These conditions frequently co-exist and share common risk factors, including poor nutrition, metabolic dysregulation, inflammation, and age-related decline. Despite their clinical relevance, the molecular mechanisms linking dietary and metabolic factors to musculoskeletal and respiratory health remain incompletely understood.
This project aims to investigate how nutrition and metabolism influence the development and progression of musculoskeletal and respiratory diseases by leveraging UK Biobank’s extensive phenotype and multi-omics data. We will focus on conditions such as sarcopenia, osteopenia/osteoporosis, COPD, and asthma, which often interact and reflect systemic dysfunction.
By integrating genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and dietary data, we aim to identify molecular signatures that underlie disease risk and heterogeneity. Key research questions include: How do dietary patterns and nutrient biomarkers correlate with muscle and lung function? What genetic and molecular pathways mediate the link between metabolism and tissue integrity? Are there shared or distinct biological networks across musculoskeletal and respiratory conditions?
Using machine learning and systems biology approaches, we will map molecular networks associated with specific phenotypes and identify biomarkers predictive of disease onset and progression. These findings could inform personalized dietary and therapeutic strategies to prevent or manage multimorbidity in aging populations.
