Informing GWAS using systems genetics

Informing GWAS using systems genetics

Informing GWAS using systems genetics (#96)

Charles Farber ¹

University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VIRGINIA, United States

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been used to identify dozens of loci harboring genetic variants associated with bone mineral density (BMD). The majority of associations implicate genes not previously shown to play a role in bone. As a result, GWAS data represents a potential treasure trove of new information regarding genes and pathways important in the regulation of human bone biology. While identifying loci by GWAS is straightforward, it has proven more challenging to identify the genes responsible for associations. In this talk, I will discuss our efforts to use systems genetics approaches to inform GWAS. Specially, I will provide an overview of the use of co-expression networks to predict causal genes at GWAS loci and our experimental work testing predictions. Lastly, I will discuss how this work has the potential to inform new drug discovery for osteoporosis and other bone diseases.

Authors contributing to this presentation.

Farber, C

Dr. Charles R. Farber received his Ph.D. in genetics from the University of California, Davis. He then performed postdoctoral research in systems genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles. Currently, Dr. Farber is an Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics in the School of Medicine at the University of Virginia (UVa). He is also the Associate Director of the UVa Center for Public Health Genomics. Dr. Farber’s research is focused on the systems genetic analysis of bone strength and other complex skeletal traits. His work includes the application of systems genetics in genetically diverse mouse populations to identify genes and gene networks impacting bone. Dr. Farber’s lab is also combining systems genetics and genome-wide association studies in humans to improve our understanding of bone biology and identify novel therapeutic targets for osteoporosis.

Informing GWAS using systems genetics (#96)

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