PREcisE

A precision nutri-epigenetic approach to tackle the mother-to-child transmission of impaired glucose metabolism

PREcisE’s goal is to use longitudinal data from the pre-conceptional period up until adulthood to explore the life-course and molecular pathways pertaining the mother to offspring transmissibility of impaired glycaemic health. The project harnesses very large data from cohorts/biobanks from Spain, Germany, Finland, France and the Netherlands. It also joins hands with related projects (e.g., ALPHABET & NutriPROGRAM) and other consortia (e.g, PACE: Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics, EGG: Early Growth Genetics, MethQTL: Global Methylation Collaboration) to study the mother-to-offspring transmission of glycaemic health through epigenetic factors.

PREcisE’s main objectives are:

  1. To identify robust epigenetic markers in the offspring demarking an exposure to adverse maternal glucose metabolism during pregnancy.
  2. To characterize the underpinning molecular pathways and the tissue specificity of such epigenetic markers through gene expression analysis in human tissues.
  3. To explore the role of pre- and postnatal nutrition in modifying impaired maternal glucose programming.
  4. To exemplify the lasting impact of adopting healthy dietary behaviours from pregnancy onwards on lifelong health.
  5. To use state of the art statistical methodology (Bayesian Structural Equation Models) to examine the interplays between maternal glycaemic health indicators, epigenetics, and offspring impaired glycaemic health.
  6. Causal analyses of maternal glucose response related epigenetic marker - outcome association using Mendelian Randomisation (MR).

Key results of the project are:

  1. Association of maternal glucose area under the curve with child DNA methylation (DNAm) at two adjacent CpGs in the well-known Thioredoxin Interacting (TXNIP) gene.
  2. Maternal T1D associated with childhood DNAm at TXNIP. DNAm at TXNIP was also associated with multiple metabolic phenotypes in childhood, adulthood and with some early growth factors in infancy (BMI at Adiposity(A)Peak, Age at ARebound).
  3. The two methylation markers were associated with TXNIP expression in the liver.
  4. Harmonisation of the dietary indices; glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) as well as the dietary inflammatory index. In addition, GI has been revised to improve its application as pre- and postnatal exposure variable, in ongoing meta-analysis on DNAm during childhood and adolescence.
  5. Maternal GI and GL (mostly in mothers with overweight/obesity), adherence to the Mediterranean diet (excluding alcohol) during pregnancy were associated with cord blood DNAm.
  6. Maternal early-pregnancy glucose concentrations, but not insulin concentrations, were associated with DNAm in all weight groups, and maternal plasma fatty acid pattern characterized by higher concentrations of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may be associated with accelerated epigenetic gestational ageing.
  7. Dietary GL in children and adolescents was positively associated with the methylation of cg20274553 (WDR27). Stratification in children by weight identified several DNAm sites related to GI or GL. Among all identified DNAm sites (N = 537), 76 in blood and 89 in adipose tissue were related to the expression of genes that modulate metabolic processes.
  8. Higher sugar-containing beverage intake in infancy was associated with NAFLD in school-aged children, independent of sugar-containing beverage intake and BMI at school age.
  9. DNAm at three CpGs (cg05937453, cg25212453, and cg10040131), each in a different age range, was associated with BMI at Bonferroni significance, P < 1.06 × 10−7. DNA methylation at the 187 CpGs previously identified to be associated with adult BMI, increased with advancing age across childhood and adolescence in our analyses. In addition, correlation coefficients between effect estimates for those CpGs in adults and in children and adolescents also increased. Among the top findings for each age range, we observed increasing enrichment for the CpGs that were previously identified in adults (birth Penrichment = 1; childhood Penrichment = 2.00 × 10−4; adolescence Penrichment = 2.10 × 10−7).
  10. Development of a life-course model using data from 7 life stages: pre-natal, birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, early adulthood at 31 years and late adulthood at 46 years, to explore the dynamic determinants of metabolic heath.
  11. Testing and application of the above life course model in NFBC1966 data showed that early life up to age of 11y and early adulthood are critical periods to tackle later BMI development.
  12. Proxies for the two identified methylation markers were not yet  available for MR analyses but MR analyses were carried out using another methylation marker at TXNIP (from published literature) that was associated with T2D in EWAS meta-analyses as a proof of principle. This, however, showed a null causal association between TXNIP and T2D.

We advanced our knowledge on mechanisms of how environment may impact on people’s health and identified elements for preventative measures.

Consortium

Partner Organization Partner Country
Forschergruppe Diabetes e.V. am Helmholtz Zentrum München Germany
University of Granada Spain
Universite de Lille France
Erasmus Medical Center The Netherlands
University of Melbourne Australia

 

Highlights

Evidence is emerging to support that a range of pre- and postnatal life-style exposures (e.g. gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) of the mother, maternal smoking, nutrition) may have an impact on the epigenome and can induce epigenetic marks (e.g. DNAm marks) that predict risk of metabolic disease later in life.
Here we will summarise the key highlights by work package. During the first year of the project, we completed the work on prenatal smoke exposure within PREcisE (Wiklund et al, 2019) showing a dose-response relationship between maternal smoking and blood DNAm in the offspring, replicated permanency of several of these methylation markers until middle age and associations with some causal evidence with adult disorders. These observations have clear public health importance. Public policy actions and guidelines may be improved to better guide strategies for prevention. Still in some countries prevalence of maternal smoking is high.
Within WP1 we have undertaken and completed multiple EWAS meta-analyses to investigate the associations of maternal glycaemic health and metabolism during pregnancy with offspring DNAm, discovering one of the best studied epigenetic marks to date. In particular, we have investigated DNAm profiles in new-born blood and blood collected in later childhood in relation to maternal fasting glucose levels (plasma or whole blood values), maternal glucose response to oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and maternal fasted serum insulin levels during pregnancy. The projects were led by PREcisE researchers and in collaboration with Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics, PACE, consortium. The analyses showed the association of maternal glucose (area under the curve from OGTT) with child DNAm and identified two adjacent CpGs in the well-known TXNIP gene. TXNIP methylation has been previously found to be associated with metabolic phenotypes and future T2D risk. Both CpGs in TXNIP in our analyses are novel, not yet been described in the literature. Follow up in PREcisE cohorts and datasets showed that DNAm in liver was associated with TXNIP expression and that maternal T1D was also associated with childhood DNAm at TXNIP. In addition, DNAm at TXNIP was associated with multiple metabolic phenotypes in childhood and adulthood. A scientific paper detailing the meta-EWAS was published.
Within WP2 we have completed the harmonisation of dietary indices between cohorts, to be included as pre- and postnatal exposure variables in ongoing meta-analysis on DNAm during childhood and adolescence. The harmonised dietary indices include the glycaemic index and glycaemic load as well as the dietary inflammatory index which has been revised to improve its application in multi-cohort collaborations. A manuscript on the revised calculation of the dietary inflammatory index has been published (PMID: 34748580). The harmonized dietary variables from WP2.1 were taken forward to EWAS meta-analyses on the impact of prenatal and postnatal diet on the epigenome at birth, adolescence, and later ages. We found associations between dietary glycaemic index / glycaemic load during pregnancy and early childhood with DNAm in new-born blood and during later childhood/adolescence. While only few associations between GI/GL and DNAm were observed when analysing the total cohort, stratification into subjects with overweight/obesity and normal weight, revealed that dietary GI/GL was associated with different methylation of numerous CpGs, mostly in the overweight/obese stratum. As this was consistently observed in both meta-analyses, the maternal GI/GL and childhood GI/GL analysis, we suggest that pathways, that are affected by dietary GI/GL, are different between mothers and children with overweight/obesity and with normal weight. This was further strengthened by the finding that associations between maternal early blood glucose concentrations and DNAm in new-borns differed between mothers with overweight/obesity and normal weight mothers.
Within WP3 development of a life course model using seven life stages: pre-natal, birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, early adulthood at 31 years and late adulthood at 46 years, to explore the dynamic determinants of glycaemic and metabolic heath and its application in NFBC66 data showed that early life up to age of 11y and early adulthood are critical periods for designing appropriate interventions to tackle later BMI development. We discovered that many prenatal and very early factors' associations on distal outcomes are mediated through adiposity rebound measures and that CpGs discovered in TXNIP gene associate with age at adiposity rebound. Work demonstrated the necessity of further structural equation model (SEM) development, update and testing because the earlier packages available could not easily handle complex, multiple type of data. Substantive amount of work was spent on this developmental work and the software is now available for future analyses (under review). We have also worked together with DataSHIELD (https://www.datashield.org/) that offers a platform for analyses of multiple datasets at the same time. Our software is implemented in DataSHIELD, tested and ready for use. The SEMs allow, with triangulation, some inferences of causal associations.

Products

Title: Lower S-adenosylmethionine levels and DNA hypomethylation of placental growth factor (PlGF) in placental tissue of early-onset preeclampsia-complicated pregnancies.
Author: Heil SG, Herzog EM, Griffioen PH, van Zelst B, Willemsen SP, de Rijke YB, Steegers-Theunissen* RPM, Steegers EAP. [ERASMUS]
Link: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0226969
Title: An integrative cross-omics analysis of DNA methylation sites of glucose and insulin homeostasis
Author: Liu J, Carnero-Montoro E, van Dongen J, Lent S, Nedeljkovic I, Ligthart S, et al
Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10487-4
Title: Intergenerational Metabolomic Analysis of Mothers with a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Their Offspring
Author: Ott R*, Pawlow X*, Weiß A*, Hofelich A, Herbst M, Hummel N, Prehn C, Adamski J, Römisch-Margl W, Kastenmüller G, Ziegler AG, Hummel S*. [FDeV]
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21249647
Title: Associations of maternal early-pregnancy blood glucose and insulin concentrations with DNA methylation in newborns.
Author: Geurtsen ML, Jaddoe VWV, Gaillard R, Felix JF* [ERASMUS]
Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13148-020-00924-3
Title: Cord blood DNA methylation reflects cord blood C-reactive protein levels but not maternal levels: a longitudinal study and meta-analysis.
Author: Yeung EH, Guan W, Zeng X, Salas LA, Mumford SL, de Prado Bert P, van Meel ER, Malmberg A, Sunyer J, Duijts L, Felix JF*, Czamara D, Hämäläinen E, Binder EB, Räikkönen K, Lahti J, London SJ, Silver RM, Schisterman EF [ERASMUS]
Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13148-020-00852-2
Title: Timing- and Dose-Specific Associations of Prenatal Smoke Exposure With Newborn DNA Methylation.
Author: Monasso GS, Jaddoe VWV, de Jongste JC, Duijts L, Felix JF* [ERASMUS]
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaa069
Title: Paternal body mass index and offspring DNA methylation: findings from the PACE consortium
Author: Sharp GC, Alfano R, Ghantous A, Urquiza J, Rifas-Shiman SL, Page CM, Jin J, Fernández-Barrés S, Santorelli G, Tindula G; 36 other members of the Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) consortium
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyaa267
Title: Epigenome-wide change and variation in DNA methylation in childhood: Trajectories from birth to late adolescence
Author: Mulder RH, Neumann A, Cecil CAM, Walton E, Houtepen LC, Simpkin AJ, Rijlaarsdam J, Heijmans BT, Gaunt TR, Felix JF*, Jaddoe VWV, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Tiemeier H, Relton CL, van IJzendoorn MH, Suderman M
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddaa280
Title: DNA methylation and body mass index from birth to adolescence: meta-analyses of epigenome-wide association studies
Author: Vehmeijer FOL, Küpers LK, Sharp GC, Salas LA, Lent S, Jima DD, Tindula G, Reese S, Qi C, Gruzieva O, Page C, Rezwan FI, Melton PE, Nohr E, Escaramís G, Rzehak P, Heiskala A, Gong T, Tuominen ST, Gao L, Ross JP, Starling AP, Holloway JW, Yousefi P, Aasvang GM, Beilin LJ, Bergström A, Binder E, Chatzi L, Corpeleijn E, Czamara D, Eskenazi B, Ewart S, Ferre N, Grote V, Gruszfeld D, Håberg SE, Hoyo C, Huen K, Karlsson R, Kull I, Langhendries JP, Lepeule J, Magnus MC, Maguire RL, Molloy PL, Monnereau
Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13073-020-00810-w
Title: Differences in DNA methylation of insulin-like growth factor 2 and cadherin 13 in patients with preeclampsia.
Author: Van den Berg CB, Herzog EM, Duvekot JJ, Van der Spek PJ, Steegers EAP, Stoop MP, Willemsen SP, Steegers-Theunissen RPM*
Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.preghy.2020.01.010
Title: DNA methylation differences at birth after conception through ART.
Author: Elmar W. Tobi*, Catarina Almqvist, Anna Hedman, Ellika Andolf, Jan Holte, Jan I. Olofsson, Håkan Wramsby, Margaretha Wramsby, Göran Pershagen, Bastiaan T. Heijmans, Anastasia N. Iliadou
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fhumrep%2Fdeaa253
Title: The tissue-specific aspect of genome-wide DNA methylation in newborn and placental tissues: implications for epigenetic epidemiologic studies
Author: Herzog EM, Eggink AJ, Willemsen SP, Slieker RC, Felix JF, Stubbs AP, Van der Spek PJ, Van Meurs JBJ, Heijmans BT, Steegers-Theunissen RPM*
Link: https://doi.org/10.1017/s2040174420000136
Title: Metabolic profiles of socio-economic position: a multi-cohort analysis
Author: Oliver Robinson, Alice R Carter, Mika Ala-Korpela, Juan P Casas, Nishi Chaturvedi, Jorgen Engmann, Laura D Howe, Alun D. Hughes , Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin*, Mika Ka¨ho¨ nen, Ville Karhunen*, Diana Kuh, Tina Shah, Yoav Ben-Shlomo, Reecha Sofat, Chung-Ho E Lau, Terho Lehtima¨ ki, Usha Menon, Olli Raitakari, Andy Ryan, Rui Providencia, Stephanie Smith, Julie Taylor, Therese Tillin, Jorma Viikari, Andrew Wong, Aroon D Hingorani, Mika Kivima¨ki and Paolo Vineis.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyaa188
Title: Epigenome-Wide Association Study Reveals Methylation Loci Associated With Offspring Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Exposure and Maternal Methylome
Author: Canouil M*, Khamis A, Keikkala E, Hummel S*, Lobbens S, Bonnefond A*, Delahaye F, Tzala E*, Mustaniemi S, Vääräsmäki M, Jarvelin MR*, Sebert S*, Kajantie E, Froguel P, Andrew T
Link: https://doi.org/10.2337/dc20-2960
Title: Determinants of Accelerated Metabolomic and Epigenetic Aging in a UK Cohort.
Author: Robinson O, Chadeau Hyam M, Karaman I, Climaco Pinto R, Ala-Korpela M, Handakas E, Fiorito G, Gao H, Heard A, Jarvelin MR*, Lewis M, Pazoki R, Polidoro S, Tzoulaki I, Wielscher M, Elliott P, Vineis P.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13149
Title: Associations Between Intake of Sugar-Containing Beverages in Infancy With Liver Fat Accumulation at School Age.
Author: Geurtsen ML, Santos S, Gaillard R, Felix JF*, Jaddoe VWV
Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.31611
Title: Maternal Early-Pregnancy Glucose Concentrations and Liver Fat Among School-Age Children
Author: Geurtsen ML, Wahab RJ, Felix JF*, Gaillard R, Jaddoe VWV
Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.31910
Title: A new mathematical approach to improve the original dietary inflammatory index (DII) calculation
Author: Pawlow X, Ott R*, Winkler C, Ziegler AG, Hummel S*
Link: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259629
Title: Epigenetic age acceleration and cardiovascular outcomes in school-age children: The Generation R Study
Author: Monasso GS, Jaddoe VWV, Kupers LK, Felix JF*
Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13148-021-01193-4
Title: DNA methylation differences at birth after conception through ART
Author: Tobi EW*, Almqvist C, Hedman A, Andolf E, Holte J, Olofsson JI, et al
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fhumrep%2Fdeaa253
Title: Maternal plasma fatty acid patterns in mid-pregnancy and offspring epigenetic gestational age at birth.
Author: Monasso GS, Voortman T, Felix JF*
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/15592294.2022.2076051
Title: Maternal Mediterranean diet in pregnancy and newborn DNA methylation: a meta-analysis in the PACE Consortium
Author: Kupers LK, Fernandez-Barres S, Nounu A, Friedman C, Fore R, Mancano G et al
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/15592294.2022.2038412
Title: Maternal Dietary Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load in Pregnancy and Offspring Cord Blood DNA Methylation
Author: Küpers LK, Fernández-Barrés S, Mancano G, Johnson L, Ott R, Vioque J, Colombo M, Landgraf K, Tobi EW*, Körner A, Gaillard R, de Vries JHM, Jaddoe VWV, Vrijheid M, Sharp GC, Felix JF*
Link: https://doi.org/10.2337/dc21-2662
Title: Maternal Glycemic Dysregulation During Pregnancy and Neonatal Blood DNA Methylation:Meta-analyses of Epigenome-Wide Association Studies
Author: Tobi EW*, Juvinao-Quintero DL, Ronkainen J, Ott R*, Alfano R, Canouil M et al
Link: https://doi.org/10.2337/dc21-1701
Title: Infant weight growth patterns, childhood BMI, and arterial health at age 10 years
Author: Monasso GS, Silva CCV, Santos S, Goncalvez R, Gaillard R, Felix JF*, et al.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23376
Title: Circulating inflammatory cytokines and risk of five cancers: a Mendelian randomization analysis
Author: Emmanouil Bouras,Ville Karhunen,Dipender Gill,Jian Huang, Philip C. Haycock,Marc J. Gunter,Mattias Johansson,Paul Brennan,Tim Key,Sarah J. Lewis,Richard M. Martin,Neil Murphy, Elizabeth A. Platz,Ruth Travis,James Yarmolinsky,Verena Zuber,Paul Martin,Michail Katsoulis,Heinz Freisling,Therese Haugdahl Nøst,Matthias B. Schulze,Laure Dossus,Rayjean J. Hung,Christopher I. Amos,Ari Ahola-Olli,Saranya Palaniswamy,Minna Männikkö,Juha Auvinen,Karl-Heinz Herzig,Sirkka Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi,Terho Lehtimäki
Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-021-02193-0
Title: DNA methylation signature of chronic low-grade inflammation and its role in cardio-respiratory diseases.
Author: Wielscher M, Mandaviya PR, Kuehnel B, Joehanes R, Mustafa R, Robinson O, Zhang Y, Bodinier B, Walton E, Mishra PP, Schlosser P, Wilson R, Tsai PC, Palaniswamy S, Marioni RE, Fiorito G, Cugliari G, Karhunen V, Ghanbari M, Psaty BM, Loh M, Bis JC, Lehne B, Sotoodehnia N, Deary IJ, Chadeau-Hyam M, Brody JA, Cardona A, Selvin E, Smith AK, Miller AH, Torres MA, Marouli E, Gào X, van Meurs JBJ, Graf-Schindler J, Rathmann W, Koenig W, Peters A, Weninger W, Farlik M, Zhang T, Chen W, Xia Y, Teumer A, Na
Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29792-6
Title: Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of gestational diabetes mellitus highlights genetic links with type 2 diabetes.
Author: Pervjakova N, Moen GH, Borges MC, Ferreira T, Cook JP, Allard C, Beaumont RN, Canouil M, Hatem G, Heiskala A, Joensuu A, Karhunen V, Kwak SH, Lin FTJ, Liu J, Rifas-Shiman S, Tam CH, Tam WH, Thorleifsson G, Andrew T, Auvinen J, Bhowmik B, Bonnefond A, Delahaye F, Demirkan A, Froguel P, Haller-Kikkatalo K, Hardardottir H, Hummel S, Hussain A, Kajantie E, Keikkala E, Khamis A, Lahti J, Lekva T, Mustaniemi S, Sommer C, Tagoma A, Tzala E, Uibo R, Vääräsmäki M, Villa PM, Birkeland KI, Bouchard L, Duij
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddac050
Title: Exploring the causal effect of maternal pregnancy adiposity on offspring adiposity: Mendelian randomisation using polygenic risk scores
Author: Bond TA, Richmond RC, Karhunen V, Cuellar-Partida G, Borges MC, Zuber V, Couto Alves A, Mason D, Yang TC, Gunter MJ, Dehghan A, Tzoulaki I, Sebert S, Evans DM, Lewin AM, O'Reilly PF, Lawlor DA, Järvelin MR*
Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-021-02216-w
Title: Work-related stress and well-being in association with epigenetic age acceleration: A Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study.
Author: Freni-Sterrantino A, Fiorito G, D'Errico A, Robinson O, Virtanen M, Ala-Mursula L, Järvelin MR*, Ronkainen J, Vineis P
Link: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.203872
Title: HARMONISING AND COMBINING COHORTS IN DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE RESEARCH. The PREcisE project.
Author: Evangelia Tzala*, Sylvain Sebert*, Raffael Ott *, Leanne K Küpers*, Mercedes G Bermudez *, Mickaël Canouil*, Inga Prokopenko*, Richard Saffery*, Marja Vääräsmäki, Eero Kajantie*, Cristina Campoy*, Régine Steegers-Theunissen*, Vincent W. Jaddoe *, Phillippe Froguel*, Priyanka Parmar, Amelie Bonnefond*, Janine F. Felix *, Sandra Hummel*, Elmar W.Tobi*, Marjo-Riitta Järvelin *
Title: Metabolic profiles of socio-economic position: a multi-cohort analysis.
Author: Robinson O, Carter AR, Ala-Korpela M, Casas JP, Chaturvedi N, Engmann J, Howe LD, Hughes AD, Järvelin MR*, Kähönen M, Karhunen V, Kuh D, Shah T, Ben-Shlomo Y, Sofat R, Lau CE, Lehtimäki T, Menon U, Raitakari O, Ryan A, Providencia R, Smith S, Taylor J, Tillin T, Viikari J, Wong A, Hingorani AD, Kivimäki M, Vineis P
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyaa188
Title: Genetic correlation and causal relationships between cardio-metabolic traits and lung function impairment.
Author: Wielscher M, Amaral AFS, van der Plaat D, Wain LV, Sebert S, Mosen-Ansorena D, Auvinen J, Herzig KH, Dehghan A, Jarvis DL, Jarvelin MR*
Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13073-021-00914-x
Title: The link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and obesity-related traits: genetic and prenatal explanations.
Author: Karhunen V, Bond TA, Zuber V, Hurtig T, Moilanen I, Järvelin MR*, Evangelou M, Rodriguez A
Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01584-4
Title: A computationally efficient Bayesian seemingly unrelated regressions model for high-dimensional quantitative trait loci discovery.
Author: Bottolo L, Banterle M, Richardson S, Ala-Korpela M, Järvelin MR*, Lewin A
Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/rssc.12490
Title: Maternal and infant prediction of the child BMI trajectories; studies across two generations of Northern Finland birth cohorts.
Author: Nedelec R, Miettunen J, Männikkö M, Järvelin MR*, Sebert S*
Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-020-00695-0

Communication & Dissemination Activities

Target groupAuthorsMeans of communication
ScientistDr. Elmar Tobi (ERASMUS) - What is epigenetics – how Evolutionary Biology and Embryology helps us understand the nature of epigenetics. Departments of neonatology and obstetrics, Erasmus MC, November 7th, 2018Oral presentation
MSc studentsDr. Elmar Tobi (ERASMUS), “The origin of the Developmental origins hypothesis and why it matters for metabolic disease”, course for interdisciplinary Master education track, November 14th 2018Lecture
MSc studentsDr. Tobi (ERASMUS), Analyzing DNA methylation micro-array data, Computer practical,October 18th 2018Teaching and demonstration
Master students and teachersProf. Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin (IC): Northern Finland Birth Cohort Studies – data and some results including early life epigenetics. MSc Health Data Analytics and Machine Learning, London, UK, Jan 2019.Lecture
MSc students, clinicians, nutritionistsProf. Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin (IC): Introduction – Genes and Environment short course, Understanding genetic influence on growth and development, London, UK, Feb 2019.Lecture
Professional PractitionersProf. Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin (Imperial Colelge London),Lessons from the DynaHEALTH consortium: bio-psychosocial model of glycaemic health”. 55th EASD (European Association for the Study of Diabetes) Annual Meeting Symposium, Barcelona, Spain, Sept 2019A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
ScientistsAssociate Prof. Janine Felix (ERASMUS); Early-life programming of life course health. Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung UFZ, Leipzig, Germany, Feb 2019.Lecture
ScientistsAssociate Prof. Janine Felix (ERASMUS); "Maternal factors and epigenetics" during the 45th Annual meeting of the German Society for Neonatology and Pediatric intensive care, Leipzig (Germany), May 2019 May 2019.Oral Presentation
ScientistsDr. Evangelia Tzala (IC); Bayesian Life-Course Path Analysis Model: Application NFBC (national Finnish Birth Cohort) 1966. PREcisE kick-off meeting, Lille, France, Jun 2019.Short talk
ScientistsProf. Steegers-Theunissen RPM (ERASMUS). Periconception one carbon metabolism and embryonic and placental health, 12th International conference on One Carbon Metabolism, B Vitamins and Homocysteine, Reus, Jun 2019 (invited speaker).Lecture
Public OutreachAssociate Prof. Janine Felix (ERASMUS); Biosamples panel session during the “Born in Bradford” Science Festival 2019, Bradford, UK, Oct 2019 (participated in the panel).Panel session
PhD studentsProf. Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin (IC): Research Design for Social Sciences and Medicine. Three-hour interactive session including aspects of genetic/epigenetic studies. Imperial College Graduate School, London, UK, Feb 2019.Lecture
Master students and teachersProf. Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin (IC): Lifecourse models – data – on metabolic traits addressing early life epigenetics. MSc Health Data Analytics and Machine Learning, London, UK, Nov 2019.Lecture
Clinicians, scientistsDr. Elmar Tobi (Erasmus): A precise meta-analysis on maternal glycemic traits and cord blood DNA methylation. - Erasmus MC department talk Nov 2020Lecture
Public (for the lower income parts of Rotterdam)Prof. Steegers-Theunissen RPM [ERASMUS}. Een gezonde baby: wat kun je zelf doen? For You Magazine editie Rotterdam 2019, 2: 30. Title in English: A healthy baby; what can you do?Magazine interview
Postgraduate studentsProf. Jarvelin (IC), Interactive introductory session (1.5 hours) for new PhD students in the pathway of Life Course, Psychology and Health (n ~40 ) of the London Interdisciplinary Social Science Programme (LISS), between Imperial College Graduate School, King’s College London and Queen Mary University London) Oct 2020.Oral Presentation
Scientists. policy makers, general publicProf. Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin (IC); Protective and preventive healthcare. Highlights of the importance of lifestyle factors and early years intervention 2020Interview paper (profile):
Students and ScientistsAssociate Prof. Janine Felix (ERASMUS), Pregnancy exposures and offspring DNA methylation” in FASEB “The Epigenome in Human Health and Diseases Conference,October 2021Lecture
Policymakers/politicians, Professional Practitioners, Industry/BusinessAssociate Prof. Janine Felix (ERASMUS ) & Prof Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin (IC), Early-life nutrition, epigenetics and life course health; Where science has taken us, Lecture during the 6th JPI-HDHL conference, April-20-21-2021Oral Presentation
Scientist, PostgraduatesProf. Sylvain Sebert (IC), Life-Course Modelling on Adult BMI,Presentation to the annual meeting of the EUCAN Connect project,2021Oral Presentation
Clinician and NursesDr. Sandra Hummel (FDeV): Overweight and Diabetes during childhood, Annual meeting of the German Diabetes Association, May 2021Oral Presentation
Public OutreachDr. Sandra Hummel (FDeV): Gestational DiabetesPodcast
TeachersDr. Sandra Hummel (FDeV), Teachers training, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Diabetes-information portal; Munich, Germany: Prediction and Prevention of diabetes, May 2021Seminar
PublicProf. Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin (IC), Lifelong health – what Birth Cohort Studies May tell you? Tales from the Northern Finland Birth Cohorts, 16.06.2022Public lecture (recorded), followed by a newspaper interview and article.
ScientistsProf. Jarvelin (IC), Conference on Epidemiological Birth Cohort and Longitudinal Studies- the 4th Paula Rantakallio symposium, 15-17th June 2022Presentation
Clinicians, NursesDr. Sandra Hummel (FDeV); Training meeting CJD Diabetes Center Berchtesgaden, Germany: Diabetes and adolescence – Prevention of type 2 diabetes, October 2021Oral Presentation/Seminar
Professional PractitionersDr. Sandra Hummel (FeDV), Teenagers with diabetes, FORSCHERGRUPPE DIABETES e.V-Germany, 2021Oral Presentation
Physicians, NursesDr. Sandra Hummel (FDeV): Breastfeeding and Diabetes – health benefits for mothers and their offspring. Webinar organised by the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding & Lactation Education (IABLE), 20.10.2021Lecture
TeachersDr. Sandra Hummel (FeDV), Health promotion – Prevention – Diet,Workshop for teachers, FORSCHERGRUPPE DIABETES e.V-GermanyWorkshop
Public OutreachDr. Sandra Hummel (FDeV): Diabetes during pregnancy – Article in UGB Forum 03/2021Article in lay journal
Scientific communityDr. Raffael Ott (FDeV): Epigenome-wide associations with dietary glycemic index and glycemic load in children and adolescents vary by weight status. 31.08.2022Abstract
MSc students – EpidemiologyDr. Sandra Hummel (FDeV); Lecture MSc Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany: Prediction and Prevention of Diabetes, April 2021 and April 2022Lecture
Medical studentsUniversity Munich, Germany: Type 1 Diabetes, Gestational Diabetes, 2021 and 2022Lecture

Subjects

Nutrition
Diet, health and disease

Features

Project number:
PREcisE
Duration: 100%
2018
2022
Project lead and secretary:
Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin
Responsible organisation:
Imperial College London, UK