Approved Research

Baseline observational study of the similarities and discordances in biomarkers and lifestyle factors determining lifespan between European, North American and Japanese populations.

Lay summary

There are significant differences between European, North American, and Japanese populations. These have practical implications in a wide range of areas from the design of clinical treatments and pharmaceuticals to how lifestyle factors can be modified to produce better health outcomes. 

This research aims to address what are the main differences between Japanese, European and North American populations with respect to physical and biochemical measures, disease progression, and lifespan.

The research aims to identify how population-based biases in factors relate to lifespan. Further the research aims to identify generalised predictors of lifespan, and develop methods for relating Japanese, North American, and European population data for future genomic association studies.

The rationale for the study is to undertake a comprehensive outcome driven study to understand the associations of phenotypic markers, including biometric and biochemical markers, and diagnostic-intervention combinations, with risk of death.

This study will seek to characterise the dominance of each marker's association with lifespan and how these associations affect an overall lifespan predictor. This will provide clear data for how to relate different population data to lifespan while accounting for biases within each sample. 

A better understanding of the differential associations between clinical and biomedical data and health outcomes within European, North American, and Japanese population datasets will be of growing importance for large population studies looking to understand genomic and polygenic links to disease. There is also a public health need to understand ethnicity-driven bias and consider better people's characteristics and cultural/lifestyle factors. 

The project will last up to three years in duration.