Uses and misuses of DNA methylation for understanding health inequalities
Topic: DNA methylation is well characterized as a biological system critical for human physiological function. It is more stable over time than many biomarkers, but unlike genotype, dynamic depending on the environment. Two of the most difficult challenges for studying the impacts of social and economic factors on health are: 1) the lag time between exposure and health outcomes, and 2) the need to evaluate multiple health outcomes in order to fully understand the impacts of a policy change. In this talk I will discuss what we know about how DNA methylation may help to address these challenges, with the goal of providing the best evidence possible for understanding the impacts of policies for decreasing inequalities in health.
This seminar will be led by Dr. David Rehkopf, Associate Professor of Medicine, Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University.
When: December 4, 2019, 12:00 PM-1:30 PM
Where: UCSF Mission Hall, Room 1406
Dr. David Rehkopf is Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Primary Care and Population Health at Stanford University. Dr. Rehkopf's work examines the ways in which social and economic factors impact health and mortality across the lifespan, with a particular focus on the impact of work and earnings on chronic disease risk and aging. He approaches these questions through quasi-experimental analysis of the effects of social and economic policy changes on health. In order to better address these questions in future work, he also examines the potential benefits of additional biological information (genotype, telomere length, DNA methylation) for understanding the links between changes in the environment and human health.
