Andrew Brown
@arnsbr.bsky.social
Will do statistical genetics for potaje de garbanzos.
When I lived there I called it the rule of fun. If it was fun, alcohol, cigarettes, bacon, it cost twice as much compared to London where I was before. Not fun, rent, transport, it was cheaper. Since salaries were double, you came out on top. Good years.
September 8, 2025 at 10:30 PM
When I lived there I called it the rule of fun. If it was fun, alcohol, cigarettes, bacon, it cost twice as much compared to London where I was before. Not fun, rent, transport, it was cheaper. Since salaries were double, you came out on top. Good years.
There's an exemption for players, for the world cup and also the Olympics, but supporters are screwed
June 12, 2025 at 9:09 AM
There's an exemption for players, for the world cup and also the Olympics, but supporters are screwed
25 years since I was an English teacher and "bugger me it's Mrs Smith, I thought she was on holiday" is as fresh as if it was yesterday
April 26, 2025 at 9:17 PM
25 years since I was an English teacher and "bugger me it's Mrs Smith, I thought she was on holiday" is as fresh as if it was yesterday
If he revoked it each time in front of a mirror, watch out for those bees!
March 22, 2025 at 9:58 PM
If he revoked it each time in front of a mirror, watch out for those bees!
I think I identify as English because growing up it was the BNP that wanted to deport me. Then those sneaky racists rebranded as the EDL. But I think even in the 80s and 90s, long after Orwell, for much of England Englishness and Britishness were indistinguishable
February 28, 2025 at 2:08 AM
I think I identify as English because growing up it was the BNP that wanted to deport me. Then those sneaky racists rebranded as the EDL. But I think even in the 80s and 90s, long after Orwell, for much of England Englishness and Britishness were indistinguishable
My interview song. Buzzin' by Asian dub foundation
January 14, 2025 at 9:02 PM
My interview song. Buzzin' by Asian dub foundation
I think it's common in economics to have these kinds of schemes in place, speaking as someone who just submitted their review a month late I guess they know the value of incentives
November 28, 2024 at 12:54 PM
I think it's common in economics to have these kinds of schemes in place, speaking as someone who just submitted their review a month late I guess they know the value of incentives
Probably both? Fine napping methods are fairly blunt tools and assays fairly bad at capturing regulatory regions?
November 19, 2024 at 8:28 PM
Probably both? Fine napping methods are fairly blunt tools and assays fairly bad at capturing regulatory regions?
Huge thanks again to everyone who contributed to this work: @anavinuela.bsky.social, Ewan Pearson, @theodyssee.bsky.social, Martijn van de Bunt, @hakyim.bsky.social, @moneeza-ks.bsky.social, Femke Rutters, Paul Franks, Mark Walker, Naeimeh Atabaki Pasdar, Dina Mansour Aly.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Huge thanks again to everyone who contributed to this work: @anavinuela.bsky.social, Ewan Pearson, @theodyssee.bsky.social, Martijn van de Bunt, @hakyim.bsky.social, @moneeza-ks.bsky.social, Femke Rutters, Paul Franks, Mark Walker, Naeimeh Atabaki Pasdar, Dina Mansour Aly.
In summary: whole blood datasets are useful! And large reference panels can provide novel insights on the genetic of complex diseases and disease subtypes.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
In summary: whole blood datasets are useful! And large reference panels can provide novel insights on the genetic of complex diseases and disease subtypes.
Here we could find genes relevant to particular processes, 𝘛𝘙𝘔𝘛2𝘈, a gene involved in beta cell apoptosis pops up with severe insulin deficient diabetes. But these subtype GWASs are underpowered: we only find this gene by using a large whole blood reference to compensate.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Here we could find genes relevant to particular processes, 𝘛𝘙𝘔𝘛2𝘈, a gene involved in beta cell apoptosis pops up with severe insulin deficient diabetes. But these subtype GWASs are underpowered: we only find this gene by using a large whole blood reference to compensate.
Ok, but BMI is a terrible metric to study T2D, and maybe disease subtypes are still something to consider. So we call our friend Dina Mansour Aly, used the summary statistic of her GWAS study in 5 T2D subtypes.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Ok, but BMI is a terrible metric to study T2D, and maybe disease subtypes are still something to consider. So we call our friend Dina Mansour Aly, used the summary statistic of her GWAS study in 5 T2D subtypes.
We tested using GWAS summary statistics with BMI control, expecting fewer genes in obesity-related tissues like adipose but increased power in beta cell tissues by reducing variation. But all tissues lost genes, and there was no link with the relevance of the tissue for obesity.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
We tested using GWAS summary statistics with BMI control, expecting fewer genes in obesity-related tissues like adipose but increased power in beta cell tissues by reducing variation. But all tissues lost genes, and there was no link with the relevance of the tissue for obesity.
But how can we investigate specific aspects of T2D if islets alone can’t reveal beta cell dysfunction? T2D is a heterogeneous disease—some cases are driven by beta-cells dysfunction in the pancreas, others involve insulin resistance in other tissues due to obesity. Let’s check:
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
But how can we investigate specific aspects of T2D if islets alone can’t reveal beta cell dysfunction? T2D is a heterogeneous disease—some cases are driven by beta-cells dysfunction in the pancreas, others involve insulin resistance in other tissues due to obesity. Let’s check:
So, can we stop collecting “difficult” tissues? NO! Remember that when comparing across tissues, ~50% of the genes only showed one tissue. For example, 𝘛𝘊𝘍7𝘓2 was only found using pancreatic islets, the only tissue reporting an eQTL involving the known T2D-GWAS loci.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
So, can we stop collecting “difficult” tissues? NO! Remember that when comparing across tissues, ~50% of the genes only showed one tissue. For example, 𝘛𝘊𝘍7𝘓2 was only found using pancreatic islets, the only tissue reporting an eQTL involving the known T2D-GWAS loci.
Could we validate our genes with another approach? We conducted multiple instrument Mendelian Randomization testing to assess concordant SNP effects on both gene expression change and T2D risk, again finding more significant genes in the DIRECT study, supported by more SNPs.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Could we validate our genes with another approach? We conducted multiple instrument Mendelian Randomization testing to assess concordant SNP effects on both gene expression change and T2D risk, again finding more significant genes in the DIRECT study, supported by more SNPs.
There is a lot of value on combining results from different tissues, since about half of the genes were found in only one tissue. Most of the 1,818 genes (~80%) were not reported before as related to T2D, with relevant tissues, like pancreatic islets, identifying more known genes.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
There is a lot of value on combining results from different tissues, since about half of the genes were found in only one tissue. Most of the 1,818 genes (~80%) were not reported before as related to T2D, with relevant tissues, like pancreatic islets, identifying more known genes.
In total, across all 51 datasets, we found 1,818 genes and 7 proteins relevant for T2D, of which 404 were identified using the whole blood large dataset (DIRECT). GTEx (n<706) identified a total of 1,568, but no tissue found more than 299 genes.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
In total, across all 51 datasets, we found 1,818 genes and 7 proteins relevant for T2D, of which 404 were identified using the whole blood large dataset (DIRECT). GTEx (n<706) identified a total of 1,568, but no tissue found more than 299 genes.
Comparing relevant vs well powered reference panels, we found that sample size,not tissue relevance for the disease, drove gene discovery in T2D (A). The relationship between sample size and discovery was almost linear (B), with maybe saturation for the largest dataset (n=3,029).
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Comparing relevant vs well powered reference panels, we found that sample size,not tissue relevance for the disease, drove gene discovery in T2D (A). The relationship between sample size and discovery was almost linear (B), with maybe saturation for the largest dataset (n=3,029).
Using the relevant tissue, such as pancreatic islets, you can pick up tissue specific effects on T2D. But pancreatic islets are hard to collect, much easier to collect thousands of blood samples, map many more genetic effects, and some will be cross tissue and relevant for T2D.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Using the relevant tissue, such as pancreatic islets, you can pick up tissue specific effects on T2D. But pancreatic islets are hard to collect, much easier to collect thousands of blood samples, map many more genetic effects, and some will be cross tissue and relevant for T2D.
We discuss the trade-off between sample size and tissue specificity of molecular datasets for the study of T2D, by using TWAS methods on three gene expression reference panels with sample sizes ranging from 70 to 3,029, from 51 human tissues, to find T2D causal genes.
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
We discuss the trade-off between sample size and tissue specificity of molecular datasets for the study of T2D, by using TWAS methods on three gene expression reference panels with sample sizes ranging from 70 to 3,029, from 51 human tissues, to find T2D causal genes.
I am very excited and proud to announce this preprint covering one part of the work done during my PhD! Impact of sample size and tissue relevance on Type 2 Diabetes gene identification. [Thread] www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 13, 2024 at 1:37 PM
I am very excited and proud to announce this preprint covering one part of the work done during my PhD! Impact of sample size and tissue relevance on Type 2 Diabetes gene identification. [Thread] www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...