Research

This study leverages cutting-edge statistical approaches to combine pregnancy and early life epigenetic measures from the ENDIA cohort with early life epigenetic measures and follow-up in the TEDDY and DAISY cohorts to deliver new insights into the impact of the T1D in utero environment on offspring T1D risk.

We will generate a robust catalogue of cell-type specific epigenetic measures on ENDIA subjects exposed and unexposed to maternal T1D and use it to deliver mechanistic insights into the cell compartments and biological pathways by which features of the maternal T1D in utero environment may affect offspring T1D risk.

To understand perspectives on participant engagement, return of results, and data sharing from historically underrepresented participants (e.g., AIAN, African American, and Hispanic/Latino) in the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine (CCPM) Biobank with focus groups and surveys. Develop a cross-site framework for assessing biobank participants’ perspectives and engagement related to bioethical issues in biomedical research.

We propose genetic studies based on β2AR pathway gene variants and whole-genome studies of rare variants and genetic ancestry to identify novel mechanisms for inter-ethnic differences in drug response and disease severity.

The overarching project goal is to gain better understanding of the genomic mechanism behind the maternal protection from T1D by scanning the epigenome for regions/genes where maternal protection may be operating and identifying maternal characteristics driving those epigenetic changes.