The Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) is a national register in which twins, multiples, their parents, siblings, spouses, and other family members participate. Since the early 1980s, the NTR has enrolled around 120,000 twins and a roughly equal number of their relatives. The majority of twin families have participated in survey studies, and subsamples took part in biomaterial collection (e.g., DNA) and dedicated projects, for example, for neuropsychological, biomarker and behavioral traits.

We recently completed a genome-wide association meta-analysis (GWAMA) of ADHD symptoms and diagnoses. In this study, we first performed a GWAMA of ADHD symptom measures, with an effective sample size of 120,092 (71,733 unique individuals from 28 population-based cohorts, with 288,887 quantitative ADHD symptom measures). Next, we meta-analyzed the results with a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of ADHD diagnoses. With this approach we identified 2,039 genome-wide significant variants, representing 39 independent loci, of which 17 were new. Using a novel fine-mapping and functional annotation method, we identified 22 potential effector genes which implicate several new potential biological processes and pathways that may play a role in ADHD.

For some research questions, data collected by the NTR are not sufficient. Data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) may offer a solution. CBS holds longitudinal data on a broad range of domains, including health care, demographics, education, and income. CBS allows for data linkage to external sources. Recent advancements have increased opportunities for answering complex research questions that require high computational power and large storage capacity. Specifically, we have developed a procedure in collaboration with ODISSEI, SURF, and CBS, which allows us to link large data, including omics data to CBS microdata. I will discuss this procedure and introduce some of the opportunities this brings for our field of research. 

Supported in part by the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science.

Lunch will be provided. 

Getting to the seminar space currently requires that you climb a set of stairs. If an accommodation is needed, please contact PPH in advance at:

[email protected]