Epigenetic mechanisms offer explanations for how environmental exposures at critical life periods may affect human biological and disease phenotypes. Incorporation of epigenetic approaches into research on health consequences of societal transitions may increase understanding of the complex biobehavioral factors influencing changing populations. Description of present and planned genetic epidem...

Introduction Swine-origin pandemic human influenza A(H1N1)2009 rapidly spread around the world since its initial reporting on the 25th of April 2009. To counter the virus, different vaccines were developed. In Belgium, the Pandemrix vaccine of GSK was used. Part of the Belgian population was vaccinated, especially those belonging to risk groups (immunodepressed patients, healthcare providers, p...

The present is unexpectedly a critical time for population change and policy. We are little more than half way through the great population growth spurt that began in the middle of the twentieth century, but developed-country governments seem to be losing interest in the issue. This loss of interest may have a significant demographic impact. The probable reasons for the declining interest are a...

One of the most inspirational books by Tony McMichael has been Human Frontiers, Environments and Disease. In the present chapter, I expand on some of the thoughts that book put forward. There are a few good examples of how environmental changes have modified the genetic make-up of some populations. It is likely, however, that much more important changes have taken place and will take place in h...

MOTIVATION Linkage disequilibrium (LD) differences between populations can potentially result in failure to replicate primary signals of trait association in independent genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, such inter-population LD differences can be leveraged to narrow the search for common causal variants responsible for the association signals observed. The ability to assess and ...

There are no easy answers in complex disease genetics. Common, chronic health conditions such as obesity and heart disease are influenced by many genetic variants scattered across the genome, with each variant making small contributions to risk. Ever-larger genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are uncovering more and more of these variants. For many diseases and disease-related traits, discov...

Several different types of epigenetic inheritance system enable alternative functional states to be maintained in cell lineages that have identical DNA sequences. Both random and guided (directed) epigenetic variations can be transmitted by these systems, and lead to heritable modifications in cell structure and function. Although it is usually assumed that epigenetic inheritance does not occur...