A5026622907- Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Family Support in Illness
- Birth, Development, and Health
- Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
- Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
- Neonatal Respiratory Health Research
- Asthma and respiratory diseases
- Infant Development and Preterm Care
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Hepatitis B Virus Studies
- Child Abuse and Trauma
- Noise Effects and Management
- Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Hepatitis C virus research
- Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Energy and Environment Impacts
- Immune responses and vaccinations
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- RNA modifications and cancer
- Family and Disability Support Research
- Breastfeeding Practices and Influences
- Health disparities and outcomes
- Dietary Effects on Health
Stanford University
2022-2025
Stanford Medicine
2025
British Columbia Children's Hospital
2018-2024
University of British Columbia
2017-2024
Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine
2020-2024
University of Manitoba
2024
Emory University
2024
Provincial Health Services Authority
2017
The development of biological markers aging has primarily focused on adult samples. Epigenetic clocks are a promising tool for measuring age that show impressive accuracy across most tissues and ranges. In adults, deviations from the DNA methylation (DNAm) prediction correlated with several age-related phenotypes, such as mortality frailty. children, however, fewer associations have been made, possibly because DNAm changes more dynamic in pediatric populations compared to adults. To address...
Abstract Objectives The inclusion of social drivers health (SDOH) into predictive algorithms outcomes has potential for improving algorithm interpretation, performance, generalizability, and transportability. However, there are limitations in the availability, understanding, quality SDOH variables, as well a lack guidance on how to incorporate them when appropriate do so. As such, few published include SDOH, is substantial methodological variability among those that do. We argue...
Offspring of persons exposed to childhood abuse are at higher risk neurodevelopmental and physical health disparities across the life course. Animal experiments have indicated that paternal environmental stressors can affect sperm DNA methylation gene expression in an offspring. Childhood has been associated with epigenetic marks human blood, saliva, brain tissue, statistically significant differences ranging widely. However, no studies examined association gametes. We sperm. Combined...
Abstract Smoking-associated DNA methylation (DNAm) signatures are reproducible among studies of mostly European descent, with mixed evidence if smoking accelerates epigenetic aging and its relationship to longevity. We evaluated smoking-associated DNAm in the Costa Rican Study on Longevity Healthy Aging (CRELES), including participants from high longevity region Nicoya. measured genome-wide leukocytes, tested Epigenetic Age Acceleration (EAA) five clocks estimates telomere length (DNAmTL),...
High-dimensional DNA methylation (DNAm) array coverage, while sparse in the context of entire methylome, still constitutes a very large number CpG probes. The ensuing multiple-test corrections affect statistical power to detect associations, likely contributing prevalent limited reproducibility. Array probes measuring proximal sites often have correlated levels DNAm that may not only be biologically meaningful but also imply dependence and redundancy. New methods account for such...
Sex differences in aging manifest disparities disease prevalence, physical health, and lifespan, where women tend to have greater longevity relative men. However, the Mediterranean Blue Zones of Sardinia (Italy) Ikaria (Greece) are regions centenarian abundance, male-female ratios approximately one, diverging from typical trend making these useful which study sex oldest old. Additionally, can be investigated as examples healthy other populations. DNA methylation (DNAm)-based predictors been...
One-carbon metabolism (OCM), a biochemical pathway dependent on micronutrients including folate and vitamin B12, plays an essential role in aging-related physiological processes. DNA methylation-based aging biomarkers may be influenced by OCM. This study investigated associations of OCM-related with epigenetic the National Health Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Blood methylation was measured adults aged ≥50 years 1999-2000 2001-2002 cycles NHANES. The following were included:...
Epigenetic clocks can serve as pivotal biomarkers linking environmental exposures with biological aging. However, research on the influence of epigenetic aging has largely been limited to a small number chemicals and specific populations. We harnessed data from National Health Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2000 2001-2002 cycles examine exposome-wide associations between A total 8 were obtained whole blood in 2,346 participants ranging 50-84 years age. 64 including phthalates, metals,...
Abstract Reproductive aging, including timing of menarche and menopause, influences long-term morbidity mortality in women, yet underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using DNA methylation-based biomarkers, we assessed associations age at ( N = 1,033) menopause 658) with epigenetic aging a nationally representative sample women ≥ 50 years. Later was associated lower GrimAge deviation $$B$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi>...
Background Immigrant status and citizenship influence health well-being, yet their associations with DNA methylation (DNAm)-based biomarkers of aging – key predictors healthspan lifespan, also known as epigenetic remain underexplored.
ABSTRACT Introduction Military service can significantly impact human health, with research showing that veterans experience higher mortality rates than the general population. However, limited data exist on relationships of veteran status biomarkers aging may precede clinical illness and mortality. Methods Using survey-design weighted generalized linear regression models, we examined cross-sectional relationship self-reported DNA methylation (DNAm)-based (epigenetic age) in a representative...
Human populations have substantial genetic diversity, but the extent of epigenetic diversity remains unclear, as population-specific DNA methylation (DNAm) has only been studied for ~3.0% CpGs. This study quantifies DNAm using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and analyzes it alongside genotype data to reveal a comprehensive picture DNAm. Using 'co-methylated region' (CMR) approach, 36,657 CMRs were identified in 62 lymphoblastoid B cell line (LCL) WGBS samples, with validation array...
Abstract Background DNA methylation-based predictors of phenotypic traits including leukocyte proportions, smoking activity, biological aging, and circulating levels plasma proteins are widely used as biomarkers in public health research. However, limited racial ethnic diversity research participants is an ongoing issue for epigenetics research, the potential downstream impacts training samples on performance epigenetic remains poorly understood. We examined chronological age (also known...
Abstract Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), or cumulative stress exposures, such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, predict later health problems in both the exposed individuals their offspring. One potential explanation suggests exposure to early adversity predicts epigenetic modification, especially DNA methylation (DNAm), linked health. Stress experienced preconception by mothers may associate with DNAm next generation. We hypothesized that fathers’ ACEs also associates...
Importance Very preterm neonates (24-32 weeks’ gestation) remain at a higher risk of morbidity and neurodevelopmental adversity throughout their lifespan. Because the extent prematurity alone does not fully explain adverse neonatal brain growth or outcomes, there is need for biomarkers to help estimate these risks in this population. Objectives To characterize pediatric buccal epigenetic (PedBE) clock—a recently developed tool measure biological aging—among very assess its association with...
Prenatal exposure to phthalates has been associated with adverse health and neurodevelopmental outcomes. DNA methylation (DNAm) alterations may be a mechanism underlying these effects, but prior investigations of prenatal neonatal DNAm profiles are limited placental tissue umbilical cord blood. Conduct an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) the associations between in two accessible infant tissues, venous buffy coat blood buccal epithelial cells (BECs). Participants included 152...
There is increasing evidence indicating that air pollution exposure associated with neuronal damage. Since pregnancy a critical window of vulnerability, during this period could have adverse effects on neurodevelopment. This study aims 1) to analyze associations prenatal indoor (particulate matter diameters ≤10 μm, PM
We examined whether prenatal exposure to two classes of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) was associated with infant epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), a DNA methylation biomarker aging. Participants included 224 maternal–infant pairs from Canadian pregnancy cohort study. Two bisphenols and 12 phthalate metabolites were measured in maternal second trimester urines. Buccal epithelial cell cheek swabs collected 3 month old infants profiled using the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip. The...
Background Vaccination remains one of the most effective means reducing burden infectious diseases globally. Improving our understanding molecular basis for vaccine response is paramount importance if we are to ensure success future development efforts. Methods We applied cutting edge multi-omics approaches extensively characterize temporal responses following vaccination with hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine. Data were integrated across cellular, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and...
Attachment is a motivational system promoting felt security to caregiver resulting in persistent internal working model of interpersonal behavior. styles are developed early social environments and predict future health development outcomes with potential biological signatures, such as epigenetic modifications like DNA methylation (DNAm). Thus, we hypothesized infant DNAm would associate toddler attachment styles. An epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) blood from 3-month-old infants was...
Abstract Background Epigenomic (e.g., DNA methylation [DNAm]) changes have been hypothesized as intermediate step linking environmental exposures with allergic disease. Associations between individual DNAm at CpGs and diseases reported, but their joint predictive capability is unknown. Methods Data were obtained from 240 children of the German LISA cohort. was measured in blood clots 6 ( N = 234) 10 years 227) using Illumina EPIC chip. Presence aeroallergen sensitization 6, 10, 15 years. We...
Maternal stress and depression during pregnancy the first year of infant's life affect a large percentage mothers. have been associated with adverse fetal childhood outcomes as well differential child DNA methylation (DNAm). However, biological mechanisms connecting maternal to poor health in children are still largely unknown. Here we aim determine whether prenatal differences cord blood mononuclear cell DNAm (CBMC-DNAm) newborns (n = 119) postnatal peripheral (PBMC-DNAm) 12 months age 113)...
Abstract Around 15–65% of women globally experience depression during pregnancy, prevalence being particularly high in low- and middle-income countries. Prenatal has been associated with adverse birth child development outcomes. DNA methylation (DNAm) may aid understanding this association. In project, we analyzed associations between prenatal DNAm from cord blood participants the South African Drakenstein Child Health Study. We examined an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) 248...
Objectives Early detection of neurodevelopmental delay is crucial for intervention and treatment strategies. We analysed associations between newborn DNA methylation (DNAm), neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) neuroimaging data, neurodevelopment.Methods Neurodevelopment was assessed in 161 children from the South African Drakenstein Child Health Study at 2 years age using Bayley Scales Infant Toddler Development III. performed an epigenome-wide association study DNAm cord blood....