Abstract
The majority of quantitative traits, such as height or blood pressure, and common diseases, such as type 2diabetesor COVID-19, result from the combined effects of many genes. This lecture will examine methods for identifying the genetic bases of these polygenic traits and diseases, with a focus on genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We will also explore the concept of pleiotropy, where a single gene can influence several biological traits. Finally, the lecture will cover polygenic risk scores (assessing the risk of developing a disease based on the effects of many genetic variants), their application in precision medicine, and current challenges facing medical genomics, such as missing heritability and Eurocentrism in genetic research.
