Researching Genetic Versus Nongenetic Determinants of Disease: A Comparison and Proposed Unification

SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 18 November 2009:
Vol. 1, Issue 7, p. 7ps8
DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3000247

• Perspective - click here for article
  

1. John P. A. Ioannidis¹,²,³,*,
2. En Yun Loy⁴,
3. Richie Poulton⁵ and
4. Kee Seng Chia⁴,⁶,⁷

Author Affiliations

1. Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece.
2. Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Modeling, Tufts Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA.
3. Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology–Hellas, Ioannina, Greece.
4. Center for Molecular Epidemiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
5. Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
6. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
7. Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.

1. *Corresponding author. E-mail: jioannid@cc.uoi.gr

Abstract

Research standards deviate in genetic versus nongenetic epidemiology. Besides some immutable differences, such as the correlation pattern between variables, these divergent research standards can converge considerably. Current research designs that dissociate genetic and nongenetic measurements are reaching their limits. Studies are needed that massively measure genotypes, nongenetic exposures, and outcomes concurrently.