Research Questions:
What novel lifestyle factors, environmental exposures, and genetic alterations contribute to cancer development, and how do they dynamically interact?
How can multi-omics data combined with longitudinal health and observational data help identify reliable biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic interventions across different cancer types?
Can large-scale, multi-modal data integration reveal phenomena and mechanisms that contradict or extend current understanding?
Objectives:
To identify previously unrecognized determinants of cancer development, as well as interactions between cancer and other health outcomes by integrating genomic, metabolomic, proteomic, biochemical, physical measurement, and observational data.
To assess the impact of these determinants on cancer diagnosis, risk, and prognosis across various cancer types.
To discover novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for cancer through comprehensive multi-omics analyses.
Scientific Rationale:
Cancer remains one of the most significant global public health challenges, affecting about 20% of the world’s population. Understanding the risk factors and biological mechanisms underlying cancer development, as well as identifying effective therapeutic strategies, are critical for improving human health and societal well-being. Despite decades of research, our understanding of cancer pathogenesis and available treatment options remains incomplete, necessitating further in-depth investigation. This project will leverage the extensive and multi-dimensional datasets available in the UK Biobank to advance our understanding of the complexity of cancer and to reveal promising new approach for intervention. These findings will help develop more effective cancer prevention and treatment strategies as well as enhance the quality of life of cancer patients.
