42nd European Mathematical Genetics Meeting (EMGM) 2014, April 1-2, 2014, Cologne, Germany: Abstracts

2013 Human Heredity  
Genetic epidemiology emerged as a marriage between the disciplines genetics and epidemiology, and it was primarily driven by technological developments in molecular genetics in the past three decades. In the first part of my presentation, I will provide a brief history of the definitions of genetic epidemiology. I will critically discuss whether these definitions are timely, and I will provide a modified definition of the term genetic epidemiology to cover modern needs. The aim of most genetic
more » ... pidemiological studies is to identify an association between a disease and a chromosomal region. In population genetics one aim is to identify population stratification, and I will argue in the second part that the study of religious, cultural, and political differences between groups can be helpful to justify differences on the genetic level. The third part of the presentation will focus on study designs, and risk prediction models and Mendelian randomization studies will serve as examples. Specifically, I will review the assumptions which need to be fulfilled for drawing valid conclusions. In conclusion, the rigorous application of statistical design methodology is required in modern genetic epidemiological studies. Invited Lecture
doi:10.1159/000360587 fatcat:nc5mdmjfrfc2tfwa3tbmwj2nmm