Neil M Davies

Transportability of mouse gene knockout models to human complex phenotypes

The paper assesses the transportability of mouse gene knockout models to human complex phenotypes using GPAT framework, finding evidence for 12 phenotypes but limited for others.

The Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child cohort study (MoBa) genotyping data resource: MoBaPsychGen pipeline v.1

The paper describes the MoBaPsychGen pipeline for quality controlling and imputing genotyping data from the MoBa cohort, identifying extensive family relationships across 207,569 individuals.

Quantifying the contribution of genetic variation to healthcare expenditure across diverse healthcare systems

This study identifies genetic variants associated with healthcare costs across multiple systems, finding polygenic influences and large effects from specific loss-of-function variants.

Assessing the repurposing potential of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug targets to reduce Alzheimer's disease risk: a pQTL-based Mendelian randomization and colocalization analysis

This study uses pQTL-based Mendelian randomization and colocalization to assess if DMARD targets reduce Alzheimer's disease risk, finding only FCGR3B shows increased risk with higher plasma levels.

Evaluating transportability of in-vitro cellular models to in-vivo human phenotypes using gene perturbation data

The paper evaluates the transportability of in-vitro gene perturbation models to in-vivo human phenotypes using CRISPR data and UK Biobank, finding some models are predictive while others are not.

Causes and consequences of vascular dementia across the life course: Evidence from a UK Biobank phenome-wide and Mendelian randomization study

This study identifies causes and consequences of vascular dementia using polygenic risk scores, phenome-wide association, and Mendelian randomization analyses from UK Biobank data, highlighting cardiometabolic and educational factors as key modifiable risks.

Repurposing drugs for the prevention of vascular dementia: Evidence from drug target Mendelian randomization

This paper uses Mendelian randomization to assess if existing drugs targeting lipid-lowering, anti-hypertensive, or anti-inflammatory pathways affect vascular dementia risk, finding potential benefits for beta-1 adrenergic receptor antagonists and risks for ACE inhibitors.

Associations between common genetic variants and income provide insights about the socioeconomic health gradient

This study identifies genetic variants associated with income and shows they correlate with health outcomes and educational attainment.

Associations between methylation age and brain age in late adolescence

The paper examines the relationship between methylation age and brain age in adolescents, finding they are largely independent and influenced by different factors like smoking and BMI.

The causes and consequences of Alzheimer's disease: phenome-wide evidence from Mendelian randomization

This study uses Mendelian randomization to identify causal risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, finding that education, fluid intelligence, and physical activity are likely causal, while most associations are consequences of early disease.

Taller height and risk of coronary heart disease and cancer: a within-sibship Mendelian randomization study

This study uses within-sibship Mendelian randomization to show taller height reduces coronary heart disease risk but increases cancer risk, likely due to causal effects rather than confounding factors.

Educational attainment as a modifier of the effect of polygenic scores for cardiovascular risk factors: cross-sectional and prospective analysis of UK Biobank

This study examines how educational attainment modifies polygenic scores for cardiovascular risk factors using UK Biobank data, finding mixed effects across traits.

Consistency of non-cognitive skills and their relation to educational outcomes in a UK cohort

This study assesses the longitudinal consistency and genetic architecture of non-cognitive skills in a UK cohort, finding high consistency for behavioural skills but low for others, and weak associations with educational outcomes compared to IQ.

Assortative mating and within-spouse pair comparisons

The paper evaluates the WSP model for reducing confounding in epidemiological studies, finding it susceptible to collider bias from assortative mating and attenuating genetic associations for traits like height and education.

Genetic effect modification of cis-acting C-reactive protein variants in cardiometabolic disease status

This study shows genetic associations of CRP variants with BMI differ between individuals with and without cardiometabolic diseases, suggesting BMI modifies these genetic effects.

The bidirectional causal effects of brain morphology across the life course and risk of Alzheimers disease: A cross-cohort comparison and Mendelian randomization meta-analysis

This study uses Mendelian randomization to examine bidirectional causal effects between brain morphology and Alzheimer's disease risk across different life stages.

Is genetic liability to ADHD and ASD causally linked to educational attainment?

This paper uses Mendelian randomization to investigate causal links between genetic liability to ADHD/ASD and educational attainment, finding distinct causal effects for ADHD and ASD.

Mendelian randomisation for mediation analysis: current methods and challenges for implementation

Multivariable and two-step Mendelian randomisation recovered direct and indirect effects with little bias in simulations with confounding or measurement error, conditions that biased phenotypic regression mediation.

Within-sibship GWAS improve estimates of direct genetic effects

In 159,701 siblings from 17 cohorts, population GWAS overstate direct effects on height, education, smoking, cognition, depressive symptoms and age at first birth; clinical traits mostly agree across models.

Within-family studies for Mendelian randomization: avoiding dynastic, assortative mating, and population stratification biases

This paper introduces within-family Mendelian randomization methods to reduce biases from family structure and shows they yield different results compared to population-based analyses.

Can education be personalised using pupils' genetic data?

This study finds polygenic scores for education are less predictive of individual educational outcomes than socioeconomic factors and show limited utility for personalized education.

Cleft lip/palate and educational attainment: cause, consequence, or correlation? A Mendelian randomization study

This study investigates whether genetic liability to non-syndromic cleft lip/palate influences educational attainment and intelligence, finding little evidence of shared genetic causation.

Education, intelligence and Alzheimer’s disease: Evidence from a multivariable two-sample Mendelian randomization study

This study uses Mendelian randomization to show education and intelligence both causally lower Alzheimer's disease risk, with intelligence having an independent effect.

Genetic analysis identifies molecular systems and biological pathways associated with household income

This study identifies genetic loci associated with household income and links them to biological pathways and cognitive ability, showing genetic differences between income and education.

Why are education, socioeconomic position and intelligence genetically correlated?

The paper examines how genetic correlations between education, socioeconomic position, and intelligence may arise from non-biological mechanisms and suggests methods to assess their validity.

Alcohol consumption and mate choice in UK Biobank: comparing observational and Mendelian randomization estimates

This study examines the relationship between alcohol consumption and mate selection using UK Biobank data, finding that genetic variants associated with alcohol use influence partner selection.

Repurposing antihypertensive drugs for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease: a Mendelian Randomization study

This study uses Mendelian randomization to assess if antihypertensive drugs reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk by lowering systolic blood pressure, finding limited evidence of an effect.

Common genetic variants and health outcomes appear geographically structured in the UK Biobank sample: Old concerns returning and their implications.

The paper examines geographical stratification of genetic variants in UK Biobank data and its impact on genetic association analyses, finding that genetic risk scores show geographic structure and may introduce bias.

The molecular genetics of participation in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

The paper investigates how genetic factors influence participation in a longitudinal study, finding polygenic associations with participation rates and highlighting potential biases in genetic studies due to selection.

Examining the genetic influences of educational attainment and the validity of value-added measures of progress

This study estimates SNP heritability of educational attainment and value-added measures using UK birth cohort data, finding increasing heritability with age and genetic contributions to some value-added measures.