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University of Groningenfounded in 1614  -  top 100 university
About us Faculty of Medical Sciences Research Epidemiology
University Medical Center Groningen

Genetic epidemiology

Mission

To investigate the genetic and environmental influences on the etiology, prediction, and prognosis of cardiometabolic, renal, and other common chronic complex diseases.

Content

The unit plays a key role in teaching and in the genetic data analysis of all the major cohort studies in the UMCG. Our training activities include involvement in Epidemiology B registration, and providing introductory and advanced courses in genetic epidemiology, and introductory courses in R and how to handle Lifelines data on the high performance computer cluster. We coordinate the genetic studies performed in the Lifelines, TRAILS and GECKO cohorts. The unit staff are active members, leaders or co-leaders of consortia performing (epi)genome-wide association studies on blood pressure, kidney function, inflammatory factors, heart rate variability, fertility and birthweight.

Senior staff
Name
Function/collaboration
e-mail address
Topic
Harold Snieder

Full professor, head unit

h.snieder umcg.nl
Genetic Epidemiology of cardiometabolic disease
Judith Vonk
Assistant professor
j.m.vonk umcg.nl
Longitudinal data analysis; Etiology and course of asthma and COPD; Lifelines
Assistant professor
m.de.vries04 umcg.nl

(Epi)genetics of COPD and ageing

Ilja Nolte
Senior researcher
i.m.nolte umcg.nl
Statistical Genetics
Post-doc
p.j.van.der.most umcg.nl
Psychiatry, Nephrology

Chris Thio

Post-doc

c.h.l.thio umcg.nl

Causal inference modeling
Ahmad Vaez
Post-doc
a.vaez umcg.nl
Bioinformatics and Post-GWAS analyses
Tian Xie
Post-doc
t.xie umcg.nl
Genetic epidemiology of psychiatric and cardiometabolic disease
PhD fellows
Alireza Ani
University of Isfahan, Iran
a.ani umcg.nl
Boiinformatics tools and pipelines for genome-wide data analysis
Anna Argoty
Nephrology; UNAM, Mexico
a.d.argoty.pantoja umcg.nl
Gene-environment interaction of hypertension
Martje Bos
Psychiatry
m.bos03 umcg.nl
Genetic epidemiology of functional disorders
Zekai Chen

z.chen umcg.nl
Genetic epidemoilogy of cardiometabolic disease
Yeliz Eski
Lifestyle medicine
y.eski umcg.nl
Genetic epidemology of physical activity
Zhen He
Shantou University, China
z.he umcg.nl
Risk factors for new onset hypertension in perimenopausal women
Zoha Kamali
University of Isfahan, Iran

z.kamali umcg.nl

Yiran Li
Psychiatry
y.li umcg.nl
Genetic Epidemoilogy of autism spectrum disorder
Wei Liu
Ophthalmology
w.liu umcg.nl
Glaucoma and kidney disease
Xueling Lu
Endocrinology
x.lu umcg.nl

Association between (epi)genetic determinants of type 2 diabetes and body burden of endocrine disruption chemicals.

Parinaz Poursafa
University of Isfahan, Iran
p.poursafa umcg.nl
Metabolic syndrome: the neglected role of airpollution
Felix Reichelt
Gene-stress interaction in cardiometabolic health
f.reichelt umcg.nl
VU Amsterdam, Erasmus MC
Rima Triatin
Genetic epidemiology of type 2 diabetes risk
r.d.triatin umcg.nl
Rujia Wang
Shared genetic and environmental influences on major depressive disorder, anciety disorder, obesity and substance use disorder
r.wang umcg.nl
Psychiatry
Siqi Wang
Mendelian Randomization and drug target prioritization in CVD
s.wang01 umcg.nl
Cardiology
Qihua Wang
Gene-diet interaction in BMI and blood pressure
q.wang umcg.nl
Lifestyle medicine
Jia Zhang
Risk factors of kidney and cardiometabolic disease
j.zhang umcg.nl
Psychiatry
Wenbo Zhang
Prediction models in the critically ill
w.zhang01 umcg.nl

Intensive care, Medical statistics

Last modified:29 January 2026 3.57 p.m.