MRC INTEGRATIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY UNIT (IEU)
SEMINAR SERIES

 Wednesday, 25^th July, 2018 : 13,00 – 14.00
Room OS6, Second Floor, Oakfield House

 Stefan Stender
Department of Clinical Biochemistry
Rigshospitalet Copenhagen

 Genetic risk of fatty liver disease

  

Abstract

Fatty liver disease affects 30% of the adult population in Western countries. The disorder is characterized by accumulation of hepatic fat, which over time can lead to inflammation and cirrhosis of the liver. Genetic factors account for a large part of the inter-individual variation in susceptibility to fatty liver disease. I will outline our current knowledge of these factors. Three recent findings will be discussed in more detail: 1) adiposity amplifies the genetic risk of fatty liver disease, 2) genetic variation in PPP1R3B associates with hepatic glycogen content, and 3) a common variant in HSD17B13 protects against chronic liver disease.

Biography

I study the genetic risk of common complex disorders with a focus on cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. I examined genetic links between gallstones and ischemic heart disease in the Copenhagen General Population Study and the Copenhagen City Heart Study during my PhD in Anne Tybjærg-Hansen’s group in Copenhagen (2010-2014). My post-doc focused on the genetic risk of fatty liver disease. These studies were conducted from 2014 to 2017 in the lab of Helen Hobbs and Jonathan Cohen at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Since August 2017 I have worked as an MD at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. Current research interests include the use of publicly available UK Biobank data in conjunction with the large Danish cohorts. 

    

ALL WELCOME