View all research projects
Research project

Hanson RG/15/17/31749 Epigenetic Biomarkers and Determinants of Cardiovascular Risk in Children

Project overview

This application aims to determine: early biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk at birth/during childhood; the window(s) when early life interventions to reduce the risk of obesity and CVD are most effective; and the nature of potentially effective intervention(s). In the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS) prospective preconception cohort, we have discovered perinatal epigenetic biomarkers of later CVD risk in mechanistically relevant genes, now confirmed in our other cohorts. We will determine how these biomarkers relate to the trajectory of adiposity, cardiovascular structure, function and fitness in SWS children to age 12yrs. Using SWS samples collected at birth and age 12yrs we will extend our panel of epigenetic biomarkers and investigate interactions with fixed genetic variants in relation to CVD risk. Then we will relate the resulting biomarker panel to CVD risk in children from ongoing cohorts in which pre- or post-natal interventions to modify risk factors are being made.

Staff

Lead researchers

Emeritus Professor Mark Hanson

Research interests
  • Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Developmental nutrition and epigenetic mechanisms
Connect with Mark

Email: M.Hanson@soton.ac.uk

Other researchers

Professor Cyrus Cooper

Prof Rheumatology Clinical Epidemiology
Research interests
  • Key research contributions have been:
  • discovery of the developmental influences which contribute to the risk of osteoporosis and hi…
  • demonstration that maternal vitamin D insufficiency is associated with sub-optimal bone miner…
Connect with Cyrus

Email: cc@mrc.soton.ac.uk

Professor Keith Godfrey

Associate Dean – KEE
Connect with Keith

Email: kmg@mrc.soton.ac.uk

Emeritus Professor Hazel Inskip MSc, PhD, FFPH

Connect with Hazel

Email: hmi@mrc.soton.ac.uk

Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Research outputs

Association of birth weight with type 2 diabetes and glycemic traits: A Mendelian randomization study
Sarah Crozier, Keith Godfrey, Cyrus Cooper, Karen Jameson, Hazel Inskip & Elaine Dennison, 2019, JAMA Network Open, 2(9)
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.10915
Type: article
In epigenetic studies including cell type adjustments in regression models can introduce multicollinearity, resulting in apparent reversal of direction of association
Sheila Barton, Phillip E. Melton, Philip Titcombe, Robert Murray, Sebastian Rauschert, Karen Lillycrop, Rae-Chi Huang, Joanna D. Holbrook & Keith Godfrey, 2019, Frontiers in Genetics, 10
DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00816
Type: article
Maternal smoking during pregnancy induces persistent epigenetic changes into adolescence, independent of postnatal smoke exposure and is associated with cardiometabolic risk
Sebastian Rauschert, Phillip Melton, Graham Burdge, Jeffrey Craig, Keith Godfrey, Joanna D Holbrook, Karen Lillycrop, Trevor Mori, Lawrence J Beilin, Wendy H. Oddy, Craig Pennell & Rae-Chi Huang, 2019, Frontiers in Genetics, 10, 1-15
DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00770
Type: article
Determinants of Intramyocellular lipid accumulation in early childhood
Navin Michael, Varsha Gupta, Suresh Anand Sadananthan, Aparna Sampathkumar, Li Chen, Hong Pan, Mya Thway Tint, Kuan Jin Lee, See Ling Loy, Izzuddin M. Aris, Lynette Pei-Chi Shek , Fabian Yap, Keith Godfrey, Melvin Khee-Shing Leow, Yung Seng Lee, Michael S. Kramer, Christiani Jevakumar Henry, Marielle V. Fortier, Yap Seng Chong, Peter D. Gluckman, Neerja Karnani & Sendhil Velan, 2019, International Journal of Obesity
DOI: 10.1038/s41366-019-0435-8
Type: article
Maternal night-time eating and sleep duration in relation to length of gestation and preterm birth
See Ling Loy, Yin Bun Cheung, Shirong Cai, Marjorelee T. Colega, Keith Godfrey, Yap Seng Chong, Lynette Pei-Chi Shek , Kok Hian Tan, Mary Foong-Fong Chong, Fabian Yap & Jerry Kok Yen Chan, 2019, Clinical Nutrition
DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2019.08.018
Type: article
Socio-demographic and maternal predictors of adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines in Singaporean children
Bozhi Chen, Jonathan Y. Bernard, Padmapriya Natarajan, Jiali Yao, Claire Goh, Kok Hian Tan, Fabian Yap, Yap-Seng Chong, Lynette P. Shek, Keith Godfrey, Shiao-Yng Chan, Johan G. Eriksson & Falk Müller-Riemenschneider, 2019, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16
DOI: 10.1186/s12966-019-0834-1
Type: article
Higher maternal circulating cotinine during pregnancy is associated with persistently shorter stature from birth to five years in an Asian cohort
Sharon Ng, Izzuddin M. Aris, Mya Thway Tint, Peter D. Gluckman, Keith M. Godfrey, Lynette Pei-Chi Shek , Fabian Yap, Kok Hian Tan, Ngee Lek, Oon Hoe Teoh, Yiong Huak Chan, Mary Foong-Fong Chong, Yung Seng Lee, Yap-Seng Chong, Michael S. Kramer & Shiao-Yng Chan, 2019, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 21(8), 1103–1112
DOI: 10.1093/ntr/nty148
Type: article