Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics
University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX3 7BN
UK
In 2007, the genome-wide association study (GWAS) era began in earnest with the successful identification of the first loci influencing type 2 diabetes and obesity risk that were robustly replicated. Since then, hundreds of loci influencing type 2 diabetes and obesity risk, as well as relevant quantitative traits (e.g. BMI, glucose and insulin levels), have been identified. These successes have been empowered by the aggregation of data across multiple cohorts and datasets, through meta-analyses conducted within the context of large international consortia. In parallel, efforts focused on identification of mutations causative of rare extreme phenotypes have revealed additional genes that impact energy balance and glucose homeostasis. In my talk, I will summarise what we have learned during this journey: what we have found, what we have not found and what new biology we have learned. Is the cup half-empty, or half-full, and where do we go from here?
Dr Inês Barroso:
Senior Research Associate
Joint Head of Human Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
and Principal Investigator, MRL
University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories
Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science
Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge