Identifying the association factors and causal determinants in metabolic diseases

Metabolic diseases are common contributors to serious health implications, including cardiovascular disease and cancers. The pandemic of metabolic diseases are driven by forces that include rapid urbanization, unhealthy dietary and lifestyles change, environmental pollution, and population aging. UKbiobank, this large multidimensional database comprising both genetic and nongenetic health information is extremely useful for the identification of factors are associated with many metabolic diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and long-term prognosis. More importantly, leveraging the genetic information in UKbiobank and Mendelian randomization analysis, we are able to examine the causal effect of exposure on metabolic disease in observational studies. In this study, we first will explore the association of dietary factor, sleeping patten, lifestyle, environment and genetic risk factors or epigenomic modifications with metabolic diseases; Second, we will develop and validate risk scores integrating genetic and non-genetic risk factors to predict the development of metabolic diseases and outcomes; Third, we will use genetic information as an instrumental variable to examine the causal effect of a modifiable exposure on metabolic diseases and the development of metabolic diseases and outcomes.
Duration: this project will take approximately two years to complete.