The Initiative in Social Genomics is one of six successful proposals in the first round of Cluster Hires at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The aim is for UW to become home to the largest and most innovative group of researchers pursuing topics in Social Genomics in the world. The Initiative in Social Genomics is one example of efforts being made on campus to expand research into genomics. Additionally, in the fall of 2018, the University also opened the Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine.
As part of the new Cluster Hiring Initiative in Social Genomics, an interdisciplinary group of scholars looked to hire three new tenure-track faculty members, all with appointments in relevant home departments, with expertise and interests in Social Genomics, defined as a field of research that integrates theories, data, and methods across the social, health, and genetic sciences.
These areas of interest were broadly characterized in three tenure-track faculty searches in Social Genomics. Lauren Schmitz joined UW in fall 2019 for the “Gene-Environment Interplay and/or Epigenetics” position. This September, UW welcomes Philipp Koellinger and Sam Trejo to fill the “Computational Approaches to Social Genomics” and “Implications of Social Genomics for Social and Public Policy” positions, respectively.
New Cluster Hire in Computational Approaches to Social Genomics
Professor Philipp Koellinger of Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam brings his expertise in social science genetics to UW’s La Follette School of Public Affairs this fall. He is tasked with developing and maintaining a cutting-edge, highly visible research program that specializes in data integration from genomic and social science sources with a focus on statistical and computational approaches to genetic prediction (genetic risk scores/polygenic scores) and/or the application of these scores to answering social/health science questions.
New Cluster Hire in Implications of Social Genomics for Social and Public Policy
Sam Trejo, PhD candidate at Stanford University in the Center for Education Analysis, joins Public Affairs and Sociology as assistant professor this fall. Trejo’s research explores the implications of social, environmental, and genetic factors on public policy and human development. At UW, he will lead a vigorous, innovative research program that specializes in integrating genomic and social/health science data, methods, and theories in pursuit of answering questions relevant to social and public policy.
Social Genomics: Faculty
Corinne D. Engelman
Credentials: Associate Professor, Population Health Sciences
Email: cengelman@wisc.edu
Research Interests
Aging and the Life Course, Impacts of Place on Aging Processes, and Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
Jason Fletcher
Credentials: Professor, Public Affairs and Sociology
Email: jason.fletcher@wisc.edu
Research Interests
Aging and the Life Course, Biodemography, Determinants of Disparities of Aging Trajectories, Health Economics and Health Services Research, and Impacts of Place on Aging Processes
Hyunseung Kang
Credentials: Assistant Professor, Statistics
Email: hyunseung@stat.wisc.edu
Research interests
Biodemography, Health Economics and Health Services Research, and Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
Philipp Koellinger
Credentials: Professor, Public Affairs
Email: koellinger@wisc.edu
Research Interests
Social Science Genetics, Neuroscience, and Behavioral, Labor, and Health Economics
James Li
Credentials: Assistant Professor, Psychology
Email: james.li@wisc.edu
Research Interests
Developmental Trajectories of Mental Illness, Neurodevelopmental Disorders (Autism and ADHD), and Gene-Environment Interactions
Qiongshi Lu
Credentials: Assistant Professor, Biostatistics & Medical Informatics
Email: qlu@biostat.wisc.edu
Research Interests
Biodemography
Lauren Schmitz
Credentials: Assistant Professor, Public Affairs
Email: llschmitz@wisc.edu
Presentation Video
On August 6, 2020, Prof. Schmitz participate in a panel at the Boston College Center for Retirement Research 2020 Retirement and Disability Research Consortium Annual Meeting. A link to the panel video is available here. Prof. Schmitz’s presentation begins at the 8:49 mark (and ends at the 19:42 mark).
Research Interests
Biodemography, Health Economics and Health Services Research
Sam Trejo
Credentials: Assistant Professor, Public Affairs and Sociology
Email: sam.trejo@wisc.edu
Research Interests
Biodemography, Impacts of Place on Aging Processes
Social Genomics: Postdocs and Students
Julia Carlson
Position title: Graduate Student, Population Health Sciences
Email: jncarlson2@wisc.edu
Sherry Huhn
Position title: Research Administrator, Initiative in Social Genomics and CDHA
Email: shuhn@wisc.edu
Eva Vasiljevic
Position title: Graduate Student, Population Health Sciences
Email: vasiljevic@wisc.edu
Xiaoyuan (Ethan) Zhong
Position title: Graduate Student, Mathematics and Economics
Email: xzhong35@wisc.edu
Social Genomics: Funded Research
Applying Biodemography Methods to Advance our Understanding of Socioeconomic Risk Factors for Alzheimer's Disease
Principal Investigator: Fletcher
Research Epigenetics, Weathering, Aging, and Residential Disadvanatage (REWARD)
Principal Investigators: Malecki and Engelman
Robust Mendelian Randomization Methods to Identify Causal Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
Principal Investigator: Kang
Testing Gene-environment Interactions without Measuring the Environmental Factor
Principal Investigator: Lu
Understanding the Importance of Place of Birth on Alzheimer's Disease Outcomes in the US and UK
Principal Investigator: Fletcher
Social Genomics: Selected Publications
Fine-tuning Polygenic Risk Scores with GWAS Summary Statistics. Zijie Zhao, Yanyao Yi, Yuchang Wu, Xiaoyuan Zhong, Yupei Lin, Timothy J. Hohman, Jason Fletcher, Qiongshi Lu
Genome-wide association study reveals sex-specific genetic architecture of facial attractiveness. Bowen Hu, Ning Shen, James J. Li, Hyunseung Kang, Jinkuk Hong, Jason Fletcher, Jan Greenberg, Marsha R. Mailick, Qiongshi Lu
Detecting Local Genetic Correlations with Scan Statistics.
Decoupling Genetics from Attainments: The Role of Social Environments. Jason Fletcher
Separating Measured Genetic and Environmental Effects: Evidence Linking Parental Genotype and Adopted Child Outcomes. Ben Domingue, Jason Fletcher
The positive end of the polygenic score distribution for ADHD: a low risk or a protective factor? James J. Li
Examining sex differences in pleiotropic effects for depression and smoking using polygenic and gene‐region aggregation techniques. Lauren L. Schmitz, Arianna M. Gard, Erin B. Ware