Genetic discovery-based targeting of the vascular interface in atherosclerosis (DZHK-BHF Cooperation)

This collaborative project aims to help understand how our genes affect our risk of heart disease. Studies involving large groups of people with and without heart disease have identified changes in the DNA code that are more frequent in people with the disease. We found many of these DNA changes are in genes involved in the wall of our blood vessels, an important biological system in the development for heart disease. We will combine innovative computational and experimental methods to investigate these genes in great detail to understand how exactly they affect disease risk, and to translate this knowledge into new treatments. Project partner: Professor Hugh Watkins, University of Oxford (The British Heart Foundation provides funding of £1,077,114 over four years)