Analysing genetic and environmental risk factors and their interactions for common cancers and cardiovascular disease [ 2003 - 2004 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Dr Jisheng Cui (Principal investigator)

Brief description The statistical models for analysing cancer and cardiovascular risk factor family data are important for understanding the genetic and environmental aetiology of these diseases, but complicated by the different levels of correlations between relatives in a family. The conventional assumption of independence in observations is invalid in these situations. We intend to develop, test, implement and distribute a comprehensive suite of new statistical methods designed specifically to assistant molecular geneticists and genetic epidemiologists undertake informative and meaningful analyses of the measured and latent genetic and environmental risk factors and their possible interactions. The two associate investigators, Prof John Hopper and Prof Stephen Harrap, will bring their respective genetic epidemiological and biometric statistical expertise and their prestigious family data resources to this project. With the suite of flexible statistical models and analyses, we will further our knowledge about genetic and environmental risk factors and their interactions of common cancers and major gene effects for cardiovascular phenotypes. Simulation studies will help us understand some phenomena accounted in the research but cannot be replicated in reality and assess the efficiency of the statistical methods and credibility of our analysis results independently. Statistical programs developed in this project can also be used in other genetic and epidemiological studies (e.g. diabetes, epilepsy) where such high-level statistical tools are not yet available.

Funding Amount $AUD 129,937.50

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes New Investigator Grant