Generation Scotland

Expert Working Groups

Expert Working Groups in Pain, Cognition, Mental Health and Genetic Annotation were established to optimise the use of Generation Scotland resource. They advise the Access Committee and help to co-ordinate research in their areas of expertise.

We have made special efforts to collect information that is often overlooked or underplayed in other cohort studies, yet have a direct impact on healthy living and physical well-being. The Expert Working Groups invest their expertise and research resource in quality control, validation and first class research. Due to this, the value of the data for future research is continually increasing.

Four Expert Working Groups have been established:

 

Pain (chaired by Professor Blair Smith, Dundee)

The pain group developed the original GS chronic pain phenotype and led the initial studies that produced publications focusing on pain in GS. The group continues to develop understanding and capacity in pain-related research with GS, and to collaborate on plans for further research.

 

Cognition (chaired by Professor Ian Deary, Edinburgh)

The aim of the cognition group is to understand the genetic and non-genetic roles of cognitive, personality and mood traits in relation to health and well-being.  The added value to GS is the high quality, externally funded annotation of the cohort by an internationally recognised group, with a vested interest in GS and its long term research potential.

 

Mental Health (chaired by Professor Andrew McIntosh, Edinburgh)

The Mental Health team aims to understand the genetic and non-genetic basis of mental health disorders including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease, in relation to health and well-being. The team undertakes to promote GS data in international consortia, maximising the utilisation of the data and representing GS in design and analysis of such studies.

 

Genetic Annotation (chaired by Professor Caroline Hayward, Edinburgh)

This group has analysed DNA from GS participants and has to date provided detailed genetic annotation on 20,000 participants. These analyses add considerably to the GS database, increasing the utility of the resource for investigating the genetic contribution to health and disease.

 

The Management Team and Access Committee will direct researchers to the Expert Working Group leads, as appropriate.

 

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