Genomics and risk
Preventing people from becoming ill benefits everyone: individuals, health services and society
To prevent delay and minimise common conditions like heart disease and cancer, we need to know as much as possible about people’s risk of disease. Genomics and other biological information play a critical role, but generating and using health data to understand risk is no simple task. Our work addresses challenges such as the use of polygenic scores, the problem of overdiagnosis and ethical and legal issues.
Research Environmental human genomics
Environmental human genomics refers to non-genetic factors that interact with the human genome and have an impact on health and disease.
Report Polygenic scores, risk and cardiovascular disease
Could genomic information help prevent common conditions such as cancer and heart disease?
Blog COVID-19 and risk
13 April 2020
Why do some of us at ‘low risk’ get so ill with a viral infection that barely touches others?
Report Implementing polygenic scores for cardiovascular disease into NHS Health Checks
The potential to routinely use polygenic scores in clinical practice is currently of particular interest, and research indicates that polygenic scores for cardiovascular disease may be the closest to potential implementation and delivery.
Blog Implementing polygenic scores for heart disease
14 June 2022
Genetic contributions to disease risk are set at birth and remain stable throughout our lives making polygenic scores an attractive biomarker.
Paper Risk-Adjusted Cancer Screening and Prevention (RiskAP): Complementing Screening for Early Disease Detection by a Learning Screening Based on Risk Factors
1 April 2022
Blog Host genomics and COVID-19: where are we now?
25 October 2021
COVID-19 can have severe effects on even apparently low-risk individuals, and it has become clear that host factors affecting the risk of infection and disease progression include genomics.
Explainer Host genomics and infectious disease
22 September 2021
Genomic factors can explain why different people (hosts) may have more or less severe symptoms or no symptoms when infected by the same pathogen.
Report Implementing polygenic scores for cardiovascular disease into NHS Health Checks
3 September 2021
The potential to routinely use polygenic scores in clinical practice is currently of particular interest, and research indicates that polygenic scores for cardiovascular disease may be the closest to potential implementation and delivery.
Explainer Breast cancer risk models and tools
31 August 2021
What are the latest and emerging models and tools for assessing breast cancer risk?
Blog Moving forward with breast cancer prevention
27 October 2020
Better understanding of the why, how and who of breast cancer, combined with new technologies, are creating opportunities for personalised prevention