Biosocial-CEN Colloquium: Jenny van Dongen, Epigenetic studies in twins

Jenny van Dongen’s current projects focus on epigenetic signatures of monozygotic twinning, ageing and environmental exposures. In her talk, she will provide an overview of epigenetic studies at the Netherlands Twin Register. She will show how twin-family designs are utilized to study the epigenetic basis of complex traits and causes of variation in epigenetic (DNA methylation) profiles. Examples include: 1) the discordant monozygotic twin design, to answer questions about the influence of lifestyle exposures such as cigarette smoking on DNA methylation. 2) classical twin and family designs, which are applied to examine the contribution of genetic and environmental influences to epigenetic variation between individuals, and 3) extensions of such models that allow for more in-depth questions, such as: How much of the variation in DNA methylation is explained by methylation Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs)? Does the contribution of genetic or environmental influences differ between males and females or between younger and older individuals? Does methylation level at CpG site X have a causal effect on trait Y and vice versa, or is the association driven by genetic pleiotropy? Dr van Dongen will also discuss ongoing work on a stable DNA methylation signature in adult somatic tissues of monozygotic twins, with implications for understanding how monozygotic twins arise and for their increased risk of rare congenital disorders.

Bio: Dr. Jenny van Dongen is an associate professor at the Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands Twin Register.

Join in person at the MPIB or remotely via WebEx: https://mpib-berlin.webex.com/mpib-berlin/j.php?MTID=maff3dee0ad54cb921191ff33d0b92347

Meeting number: 2744 645 6180

Password: ArpQMePJ352