2015 - Genetics, epigenetics and exposomics: novel methods to study gene-by-environment interactions

The contribution of genetic factors to development of asthma and COPD is very complex and interactions between different genes, or between genes and the environment, complicate inferences even further. The number of studies incorporating gene-environment interactions is increasing and it becomes more and more clear that genetics do not explain all the inheritance associated with asthma and COPD and that environmental exposures such as cigarette smoking and air pollution can affect the susceptibility and severity of airways disease.

This Research Seminar gathered experts ranging from epidemiologists to mathematicians, from clinicians to environmental experts; and researchers involved or interested in studying the effects of genes and/or environmental exposures as determinants for onset and course of chronic respiratory disease.