Welcome to the analysis of twin data!
The Institute of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics presents the course Analysis of Twin Data in Health Research with the aim: This course gives an introduction to the modern analysis in studies of twins.
The students will be able to apply basic methods and biometric models using statistical packages, especially the package "mets" and OpenMx in R. The students learn how to investigate genetic and environmental influences on phenotypes under various twin designs and assumptions. They also learn how twins can be used effectively in studying association controlling for various confounders, the matched design.
Findings and insights from studies with twins will be highlighted. Time is devoted for short presentations by the participants including discussion and feedback.
- Special topics this year: Epigenetic studies using twins; Time to events in twins and more in program below.
- Contributed talks: This gives the opportunity to give a 15 min informal presentation of your project or ideas with feedback.
Faculties
- Epidemiology, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Professor Jaakko Kaprio
- Associate professor Karri Silventoinen
- Medical Epid and Biostat, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
- Assistant professor Juulia Jylhävä
- Osaka University, Center for Twin Research
- Visiting researcher Shunsuke Toyoda
- Biostat, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Professor Thomas Scheike
- Epid and Biostat, University of Southern Denmark
- Professor Kaare Christensen
- Associate professor Jonas Mengel-From
- Associate professor Ulrich Halekoh
- Senior data analyst Axel Skytthe
- Professor Jacob Hjelmborg (course leader)
Place and time
Location: Faculty of Health Science, University of Southern Denmark, Winsløwparken. Link to Winsløwparken.
Time: 14.5.-17.5. 2018
Locations:
Monday - Wednesday (time 9-16.30):
Location 25.111, ground floor, J.B. Winsløvs Vej 25, 5000 Odense C.
Link to J.B. Winsløws Vej 25 - location 25.111
NB: Wednesday (time 15.00-16.30):
Location 17.110, first floor, J.B. Winsløvs Vej 17a, 5000 Odense C.
Link to J.B. Winsløws Vej 17a- location 17.110
Thursday (time 9-13.30):
Meeting room, 3rd floor, J.B. Winsløvs Vej 19, 5000 Odense C.
Link to J.B. Winsløws Vej 9 - 'Meeting room'
Lectures: 9.15-16.30 (including coffee breaks and lunch)
Good luck with the course!
Note: Course material will appear from links below prior to course start.
Program:
| Schedule | Topic | Persons | Slides | Material |
| 14/5 | Monday | |||
| 9.15-12.00 | A primer on twin analysis using R | Jacob Hjelmborg Ulrich Halekoh |
Day 1 Primer Day 1 Univariate |
R - Software installation Introduction to R Studio twinbmi.R twinbmiOpenMx2.R GenEpiHelperFunctions.R |
| 13.00-14.00 | The future of twin studies | Jaakko Kaprio |
The future of twin studies | Martin 2017 Robinson 2017 |
| 14.15-16.30 | The Case-Cotwin Design | Jacob Hjelmborg | The Case-Cotwin Osaka | dyslex.do dyslex.R fibigerSim.dta fibigerSim.rda |
| 17.00- | Welcome reception with drinks and pizza | |||
| 15/5 | Tuesday | |||
| 9.15-12.00 | Categorical outcomes and time to event twin data | Jacob Hjelmborg Thomas Scheike |
Analysis of Twin Data: Time to Event Models | stut.R stutOpenMx.R |
| 13.00-15.00 | Multiple outcomes in Twins | Jacob Hjelmborg | Multivariate Modeling: Analysis of Twin Data | Kan 2016 twinbmimult3sim.R simbmidata7.Rdata GenEpiHelperFunctions.R |
| 15.15-16.30 | Gene Environment Interaction | Karri Silventoinen |
Interplay between genes and environment |
bmidata.dat GE models.R |
| 16/5 | Wednesday | |||
| 9.15-10.00 | Epigenetic concepts | Jonas Mengel-From |
Epigenetic concepts | |
| 10.15-12.00 | Biomarkers for frailty and aging in Twin Studies. | Juulia Jylhävä | Epigenetics of aging and frailty in twin studies | |
| 13.00-15.00 | Applied twin research: Aging and longevity | Kaare Christensen | Twin Studies of Aging and Longevity | |
| 15.30-16.30 | Finding CpG sites for longevity | Jacob Hjelmborg | ||
| 17/5 | Thursday | |||
| 9.15-9.30 | The CODATwins project: Smoking behavior and BMI | Maarit T Piirtola | ||
| 9.30-9.45 | workshop presentation | Karri Silventoinen | ||
| 9.45-10.00 | Genetic and environmental bi-factorial contributions on depression symptoms* | Yusuke Takahashi | Abstract | |
| 10.15-10.30 | Osaka University Twin Registry and current project | Shunsuke Toyoda |
||
| 10.30-10.45 | Peripheral blood epigenetic marks within twin pairs discordant for Alzheimer’s disease | Mikko Konki | Abstract | |
| 10.45-11.00 | Workshop presentation | Emma Cazaly | ||
| 11.00-11.15 | Twin registries | Axel Skytthe | Twin Registers | |
| 11.15-11.30 | Childhood social class as a moderator of late-life cognitive abilities | Malin Ericsson | Abstract | |
| 11.30-11.45 | Generic and environmental influences on the diversity of leisure-time physical activity in adolescence* | Sara Mäkelä | Abstract | |
| 11.45-12.00 | The Nordic Twin Cancer Study | Jacob Hjelmborg | NorTwinCan | |
| 12.15-12.30 | workshop presentation | TBA | ||
| 12.30-12.45 | workshop presentation | TBA | ||
| 13.00-13.30 | General discussion and final remarks | All | ||
References and links
- Twinning: hall2003.pdf
- Twin Studies: boomsma2002.pdf, obesity2007.pdf, RabeHeskethEtAl2008.pdf, van den Berg2012.pdf
- Case Cotwin Design: Duffy1998.pdf, Intrapair2001.pdf, Ann Rheum Dis-2011-Svendsen.pdf , Frisell2012.pdf, Sjølander2012.pdf
- Quantitative Genetics: posthuma2003.pdf, visscher08.pdf, Cordell_epistasis.pdf, Martin2017.pdf, Robinson2017.pdf
- Gene Environment interaction: purcell2002.pdf, jaffee2007.pdf, hunter.pdf
- "Methodology for Genetic Studies of Twins and Families” by Michael C. Neale, Lon R. Cardon and Hermine H.M. Maes: http://www.vipbg.vcu.edu/gen619/NMbook05.pdf
- Time to event analysis: lida2013.pdf
Nordic Twin Cancer Study
- Mucci et al: Familial Risk and Heritability of Cancer Among Twins in Nordic Countries
- Hjelmborg et al: The heritability of prostate cancer in the Nordic Twin Study of Cancer
- Hjelmborg et al: Lung cancer, genetic predisposition and smoking: the Nordic Twin Study of Cancer
Epigenetics
Software for analysis of twin data
- The R project for statistical computing (General and open licensed statistical software).
- The R primer (General introduction).
- OpenMx (for structural equations modeling within the R system).
- The mets package for R
For registration
- Application for enrollment
(admission is free)