UCL Genetics Institute (UGI)

Venue: LG8 (LSHTM)

Abstract:

Pathways analysis methods aim to uncover aspects of the genetic architecture of disease that might otherwise be missed when considering genetic variants in isolation.  This approach is motivated by the observation that in many cases disease states are likely to be driven by multiple genetic variants of small to moderate effect, mediated through their interaction in molecular networks or gene pathways, rather than by the effects of a few, highly penetrant mutations. In this talk I will give a brief introduction to sparse regression methods for genome wide association studies, and describe a sparse modelling approach for the identification of pathways associated with a quantitative trait.  I will also describe two application studies identifying pathways and genes associated with high-density lipoprotein levels in two Asian cohorts, and with longitudinal structural change in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's Disease.

All welcome!