Section of Statistical Multi-Omics
The main focus of our research is dissection of the genetic architecture, and multiple omics data layers for complex human and animal characteristics and their relations to symbiotic microbiota. We also develop novel statistical methods for multi-phenotype analysis, CNV detection, sequencing studies and multi-omics data.
About us
We are a research group in the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine within the School of Biosciences here at Surrey. Our Section is led by Professor Inga Prokopenko and is composed of lecturer in statistical multi-omics, Dr Marika Kaakinen, postdoctoral and visiting fellows, PhD, MSc, and BSc students.
We lead and participate in numerous genome-wide association study efforts within large-scale international consortia, including MAGIC, DIAGRAM, EGG, GIANT, MiBioGen and others.
Research topics
- Animal genetics, genetic data imputation and comparative GWAS
- CNV detection and analysis in sequencing and genotyping data
- Co-morbidity between type 2 diabetes and cancer/depression/blood pressure
- Genetics of glycaemic and related metabolic traits, type 2 diabetes, metabolites and proteins
- Genetics of Parkinson’s disease
- Genomics of pulmonary arterial hypertension
- Host genetics and gut microbiome
- Human gut microbiome and polycystic ovary syndrome
- Linking genetics to phenotypes from metagenomes
- Machine learning methods for phenotype prediction from longitudinal multi-omics data
- Mendelian randomisation analyses to dissect causal relationships between traits and diseases
- Missing data imputation for high-dimensional omics data
- Multi-phenotype analysis methods for omics data (rare and common genetic variants, methylation data, summary statistics)
- Nutrition and gut health.
Our members
Section lead
Professor Inga Prokopenko
Professor e-One Health and Head of Statistical Multi-Omics
Academics
Dr Marika Kaakinen
Lecturer in Statistical Multi-omics
Dr Ayse Demirkan
Senior Lecturer in AI Multiomics for Health and Wellbeing
Postdoctoral researchers
Dr Zhanna Balkhiiarova
Research Fellow in Statistical Multi-Omics
Dr Hermanus Draisma
Research Fellow in Statistical Multi-Omics Modelling and Analysis
Dr Anna Ulrich
Research Fellow
Technical support
Konstantin Rudometkin
Computational and Data Storage Facility Manager