New preprint 👇
Does diagnostic misclassification in EHR-based psychiatry GWAS suppress genetic discovery?
We use simulations and FinnGen data to expand the SuperControl framework and propose a new ML approach (PRISMA) to boost signal discovery.
Led by Lisa Eick & Zhiyu Yang!
Promotional graphic for “The Genetics Podcast” featuring a portrait of a man wearing round glasses and a striped sweater against an orange background with faint DNA letters. Large white text reads: “From polygenic scores to AI-driven medicine.” Smaller text below: “With Andrea Ganna of the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland.” Episode number shown as “Ep 231.”
This week on The Genetics Podcast, @andganna.bsky.social joined host Patrick Short to discuss advances in genetics and data-driven medicine, including the the promise and limits of polygenic risk scores for disease prediction and clinical trials.
🎧 podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/e...
🚨New preprint out
Mapping real-world statin adherence at population scale (doi.org/10.64898/202...)
We analysed >1 million long-term statin users in Finland and Italy (Lombardy), identified adherence patterns, and examined baseline factors associated with declining adherence.
Link to preprint: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
@finngen.bsky.social @fimm-uh.bsky.social @hilife-helsinki.bsky.social
New preprint 👇
Does diagnostic misclassification in EHR-based psychiatry GWAS suppress genetic discovery?
We use simulations and FinnGen data to expand the SuperControl framework and propose a new ML approach (PRISMA) to boost signal discovery.
Led by Lisa Eick & Zhiyu Yang!
🌟 Applications for the 2026 Leena Peltonen School of Human Genetics are open!
Back after a great 2025 edition: ~20 global leaders and ~20 PhD students shaping the future of genomics.
📅 July 26–30, 2026
📍 Wellcome Genome Campus, UK
📝 Apply by March 6 → www.lpshg.com
🌟 Applications for the 2026 Leena Peltonen School of Human Genetics are open!
Back after a great 2025 edition: ~20 global leaders and ~20 PhD students shaping the future of genomics.
📅 July 26–30, 2026
📍 Wellcome Genome Campus, UK
📝 Apply by March 6 → www.lpshg.com
— Genetiikka vaikuttaa persoonallisuuteemme, ja persoonallisuutemme vaikuttaa siihen, mitä opiskelemme. Voimme nyt havaita näitä yhteyksiä selvemmin suoraan DNA:stamme, sanoo @andganna.bsky.social.
Linkki Nature Genetics -lehdessä julkaistuun tutkimukseen:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Announcement graphic for Jakob German's Doctoral Dissertation titled ‘Genetically-Informed Real-World Evidence and Trial Design.’ The graphic includes event details (12 December 2025 at 13:15, Oral and Dental Centre hall H3.034) and lists the opponent Linda Kachuri from Stanford University. On the right side, there is a portrait of Jakob German in a light-colored shirt.
Jakob German from @andganna.bsky.social's group @hilife-helsinki.bsky.social will defend his doctoral dissertation "Genetically-Informed Real-World Evidence and Trial Design on 12 Dec.
Linda Kachuri, Stanford University, will serve as the opponent. Welcome!
🔗 tapahtumat.helsinki.fi/en-FI/page/6...
1/ 🚨New paper in Nature Genetics
Genetic factors are associated with the educational fields people study, from arts to engineering.
Article: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
FAQ: www.thehastingscenter.org/genomic-find...
Happy to have contributed to this study!
Our personality and behaviors, as captured by genetic markers, also influence what we end up studying and, eventually, our professional careers
EU vice-president Virkkunen launches RAISE: resource for AI science in Europe. Not exactly clear what this entails. But i understand: more money, more networking.
Yoshua Bengio and the role of EU in AI development
Are you in #Boston for #ASHG25?
Come by and check out my poster (#1023) today from 2:30–4:30 PM.
Would love to connect and discuss about it :)
Removing genetic effects from plasma proteins is an effective strategy to increase power for biomarker discovery and clinical trial design, consistent with the largely non-causal role of most plasma proteins in disease risk.
👏 Lead by Daniela Fusco and Zhiyu Yang
✅ 88% of 1,300+ protein–disease pairs showed stronger associations after genetic adjustment
✅ Equivalent to needing 30% fewer samples for the same power
✅ Multi-protein scores improved prediction for 7 major diseases
✅ Adjusted proteins aligned more closely with exposome
Plasma proteins reflect both genes and environment.
But when genetic variation unrelated to disease drives protein levels, it can dilute biomarker signals.
We genetically-adjust 94 highly heritable proteins in ~40K UK Biobank individuals to see if removing genetic effects helps
🎉 New preprint out!
"Removing genetic effects on plasma proteins enhances their utility as disease biomarkers"
We show that adjusting plasma proteins for genetic effects can make them stronger predictors of disease
👉 doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Very important paper for the geroscience hypothesis. Healthy aging is critical, even in the face of obvious disease states.
Link to the pre-print: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
A fantastic collaboration with
@finngen.bsky.social &
Finnish Clinical Biobank Tampere, led by Rodos Rodosthenous & Leena Viiri.
I personally learned a lot about running an RCT: we need to make them simpler!
@fimm-uh.bsky.social
@hilife-helsinki.bsky.social
Takeaway:
While genetics strongly predict body weight at baseline, they do not determine who benefits from dietary coaching. In other words, behavioral interventions can overcome genetic risk in non-diabetic overweight and mildly obese adults.
📊 Results:
✅ Excellent retention: 90% participants returned at 6 months (in both trial arms)
✅ Diet worked: intervention group lost ~5% body weight vs controls
❌ But… the effectiveness of the intervention did not differ between those with high vs. low genetic risk for higher BMI.
🧠 What makes GENEROOS unique?
👉 It’s the first prospective RCT to directly test this hypotesis (others did so retrospectively) and the first to recruit participants from the extreme tails (top & bottom 5%) of the BMI polygenic score.
223 non-diabetic adults (BMI 23–36 kg/m²) took part.
💥 New preprint & our first RCT! 💥
Does an extremely high or low BMI polygenic score influence weight loss after a diet intervention?
GENEROOS is a 6-month randomized diet vs. control trial testing if genetic predisposition to higher BMI affects weight loss in overweight adults
A pretty comprehensive comparison of most actual #proteomics platforms:
Current landscape of plasma proteomics from technical innovations to biological insights and biomarker discovery
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Thanks to the many biobanks involved!
And particularly Zhiyu Yang for leading this!
Why it matters? progression genetics is more relevant drug targets + clinical care.
👉 Solutions:
• Build larger, harmonized cohorts & refined progression phenotypes
• Use proxy phenotypes from general population
Read: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧬💥 Do the genetics that make you develop a disease also help you survive it? Not much.
Our new study in Nature Genetics including 9 disease and 7 biobanks shows:
• Susceptibility variants ≠ survival
• PRSs for onset weak at predicting progression
• Lifespan PRS predicts survival better
