Members of the Erasmus University Rotterdam Institute for Behavior and Biology (EURIBEB) have recently co-authored two articles which are published in the scientific journals Nature and Nature Genetics. Ph.D. candidate Aysu Okbay (see photo) is first author on both publications, while Ph.D. candidate Ronald de Vlaming and Assistant Professor Niels Rietveld (all Erasmus School of Economics) are among the leading junior authors.
The central contribution of the Nature paper is a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of about 300,000 people (based on combined results from 64 separate analyses conducted in cohorts of participants from 15 different countries) on educational attainment. This is by far the largest sample size ever studied for genetic associations with any social science outcome. The article reports 74 genetic variants associated with educational attainment. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about this study can be found here.
The primary analysis in the Nature Genetics article is a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of subjective well-being. Here, 3 genetic variants are found to be associated with subjective well-being, 2 genetic variants associated with depressive symptoms, and 11 genetic variants associated with neuroticism (including 2 inversion polymorphisms). Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about this study can be found here.
About EURIBEB
EURIBEB is a joint effort of Erasmus School of Economics and Erasmus MC initiated by professors Patrick Groenen, Bert Hofman, Philipp Koellinger, Roy Thurik and André Uitterlinden. Its main goal is to use genetic information to explain economic decisions and outcomes. Later, professors Ingmar Franken of the Institute of Clinical Psychology and Henning Tiemeier of Psychiatric Epidemiology (Erasmus MC) joined to broaden the goal to also use clinical and neuropsychological measures. Both initiatives received substantial support from the Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam as well as many outside sources. The institute collaborates closely with the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium (SSGAC) and the CHARGE consortium for genetic epidemiology.
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For more information, please contact Ronald de Groot, communication officer at Erasmus School of Economics, rdegroot@ese.eur.nl mobile: +31 6 53 641 846.