Kristian Boje Nielsen - PhD Scholarship 2025

Project summary:
Proteogenomics as a tool to identify plasma proteins and genes causing and predicting coronary atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysms

Heart and vascular diseases like atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are major health issues, especially among older adults. While some causes are known, many links between genes and disease remain unclear. Using modern molecular and data analysis methods, this project explores how genes and proteins are connected to these diseases to improve diagnosis and identify new treatment options.

Project Title

Proteogenomics as a tool to identify plasma proteins and genes causing and predicting coronary atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysms

Background

We study how DNA variants and changes in blood proteins relate to heart and vascular diseases like atherosclerosis and AAA. Using existing data from the Danish heart screening study, DANCAVAS, we aim to discover new biomarkers to improve diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.

Aim

We identify gene variants linked to the levels of hundreds of blood proteins and study how these proteins relate to each other, disease presence, and patient traits in 8,000 DANCAVAS participants. Using these results, we aim to find new protein markers and gene variants that explain disease development and predict risk for cardiovascular conditions.

Methods

This study uses data from 8,000 DANCAVAS participants screened for heart and vascular diseases nearly 10 years ago, including CT scans, health info, and risk factors. Genetic data covers ~15 million DNA variants per person, and hundreds of blood proteins were measured. Using bioinformatics like GWAS and Mendelian Randomization, we explore links between DNA variants, plasma proteins, and cardiovascular conditions.