Genome-Phenome Linkages in Human Population Surveys, with Special Emphasis on the Health and Retirement Survey
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Burton Singer
Abstract
We review a diversity of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with particular emphasis on precision in specifying phenotypes. This implies that examination of any specific phenotype involves considering the likely genetic contributions to it from the entire genome. We consider a variety of phenotypes specifiable with data from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS). However, evidence from other large population studies is also incorporated as part of the process of developing and refining pathway representations from the genome thru a hierarchy of intermediate endpoints to behavioral, cognitive, and economic phenotypes. Any causal modeling focused on genome-phenotype connections must, of necessity, include consideration of intermediate endpoints (endophenotypes) as mediators of such associations. We also discuss metabolic and gene expression consequences of gene-environment interactions as a next research step beyond GWAS, not only for HRS but also for an integrated set of human population surveys that can provide much more statistical power than any one of them used alone. A variety of concrete examples based on physiological, psychological, sociological, and economic outcomes are carried along throughout our discussion.
©2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- Introduction to the Health and Retirement Study: An Evaluation and Scientific Ideas for the Future
- Economic Measurement in the Health and Retirement Study
- Potential Enhancements to Data on Health Insurance, Health Services, and Medicare in the Health and Retirement Study
- Medical Expenditure Measures in the Health and Retirement Study
- The State and Future of Blood-Based Biomarkers in the Health and Retirement Study
- Genome-Phenome Linkages in Human Population Surveys, with Special Emphasis on the Health and Retirement Survey
- A Rationale for Including a Brief Assessment of Hedonic Well-being in Large-scale Surveys
- Time Use and Well-being, and Large Survey Studies
- Personality Measurement and Assessment in Large Panel Surveys
- Family Data and Research in the Health and Retirement Study
- Social Connectedness in Health, Morbidity and Mortality, and Health Care - The Contributions, Limits and Further Potential of Health and Retirement Study
- Which Questions in the Health and Retirement Study are Used by Researchers? Evidence from Academic Journals, 2006-2009
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- Introduction to the Health and Retirement Study: An Evaluation and Scientific Ideas for the Future
- Economic Measurement in the Health and Retirement Study
- Potential Enhancements to Data on Health Insurance, Health Services, and Medicare in the Health and Retirement Study
- Medical Expenditure Measures in the Health and Retirement Study
- The State and Future of Blood-Based Biomarkers in the Health and Retirement Study
- Genome-Phenome Linkages in Human Population Surveys, with Special Emphasis on the Health and Retirement Survey
- A Rationale for Including a Brief Assessment of Hedonic Well-being in Large-scale Surveys
- Time Use and Well-being, and Large Survey Studies
- Personality Measurement and Assessment in Large Panel Surveys
- Family Data and Research in the Health and Retirement Study
- Social Connectedness in Health, Morbidity and Mortality, and Health Care - The Contributions, Limits and Further Potential of Health and Retirement Study
- Which Questions in the Health and Retirement Study are Used by Researchers? Evidence from Academic Journals, 2006-2009
