14th Annual IGSS Conference • October 20-21, 2023

Integrating Genetics and the Social Sciences 2023

Statistical Genetics Workshop: Frontiers of PGS Construction, Optimization, and Use in the Social Sciences

Qiongshi Lu

Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Presenter's website

Dr. Lu's research focuses on developing statistical methods to dissect the genetic architecture of complex human traits. In particular, areas of expertise in Dr. Lu's group include genome-wide association studies, post-GWAS variant prioritization, genetic correlation estimation, gene-environment interaction, and genetic risk prediction. His work has appeared in the leading general science, statistical genetics, and biology journals. In particular, his recent publication in Nature Communications introduces the X-Wing approach to polygenic score (PGS) construction which not only provides an important nod to the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars, but is providing the most reliable and valid estimates across different ancestral groups. The past decade has witnessed a great deal of progress in the construction of PGS related to complex human traits. Each approach has different strengths and weaknesses, and it is critical for researchers using these summary scores to have a better understanding of the differences prior to utilizing pre-constructed PGS as covariates in their analyses. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to evaluate the consistency of empirical findings linking PGS to a specific phenotype using the different techniques to better understand the meaning of their results.

Workshop Materials