Background
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – primarily cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, and diabetes – represent the leading global cause of mortality, accounting for 70% of all deaths. Despite substantial efforts to identify and modify NCD risk factors (e.g., unhealthy diet, tobacco use, physical inactivity, air pollution, and genetic susceptibility), critical gaps persist in understanding their multidimensional interactions.
Technological Advancements
Rapid developments in multi-omics technologies now enable comprehensive disease risk profiling:
* Genomics reveals inherited susceptibility
* Proteomics (e.g., Olink panels) detects serum protein signatures
* Metabolomics captures systemic metabolic dysregulation
These technologies now enable comprehensive profiling of NCD risk across multiple biological dimensions.
Proposed Research
We propose leveraging the UK Biobank’s large-scale, high-quality data to conduct an integrated prospective analysis investigating NCD determinants. Our study will synthesize multi-omics data with epidemiological insights to:
1. Identify novel biomarkers and risk factors across physiological, environmental, behavioral, genetic, and socioeconomic domains;
2. Elucidate interactions between established and emerging risk pathways;
3. Develop targeted prevention strategies for early intervention.
Disease Scope
This multidimensional framework will be applied to major NCDs including:
Cardiovascular & cerebrovascular diseases, Diabetes, Chronic kidney disease, Metabolic disorders, Frailty, Cancer, Dementia, and Sarcopenia.
