IGES Educational Workshop: Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) Best Practices
Sponsored in part by
 July 4, 2020 • 10am-5pm $100 for Members and Non-Members CLICK HERE to register for the Workshop & ConferenceCLICK HERE to register for the Workshop onlyBeing able to predict an individual’s risk of common and rare conditions is regarded by many as the holy grail. Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) as a tool for prediction and early prevention of diseases has captivated the imagination of all aspiring to improve patient and population health. So has the potential of PRS as a tool in assessing causality or improving statistical power for new genetic discoveries. The PRS, sometimes known as a genetic risk score or genome-wide polygenic score (GPS), is a weighted sum of the effect sizes of genetic variants on a given trait as estimated from a genome wide association study (GWAS). Since its early appearance in the mid 2000’s, in the form of simple Genetic Risk Score, PRS tools have been increasingly popular and have been applied to a wide range of health outcomes and contexts. There are limitations in many current applications of PRS and outcome prediction. Sophisticated and robust approaches built on more realistic model assumptions that better reflect the complex etiology of health outcomes are what the University of Toronto McLaughlin Centre PRS team is dedicated to achieving. The University of Toronto McLaughlin Centre PRS team of statisticians and epidemiologists will introduce in this workshop present-day PRS Best Practices, along with the team’s perspective on methodological gaps that are limiting the robustness and scope of current PRS applications. The team will situate the role of PRS in both high-risk and population-based prevention approaches, with a focus on the latter. The construction, assumptions, validation and calibration of PRS tools will be presented, along with methodological and implementation limitations of current PRS tools, and the team’s perspective on the PRS methodological innovation needs. This is an introductory to intermediate level course. No prior experience with PRS is required but prior experience with the analysis and interpretation of GWAS studies is required. This is a multi-pedagogical modular approach workshop that includes didactic, hands-on and panel discussion. Course materials will be provided for download by registrants prior to the course. The Workshop registration fee will include breaks and lunch. Workshop Presenters - University of Toronto McLaughlin PRS Team
France Gagnon, MSc., Ph.D.
Assisting at the Workshop are:
The McLaughlin Centre (MC) is a joint initiative between the University of Toronto (UofT) and partner hospital institutions with a mandate to advance genome-based individualized medicine through research and education. Founded in 2001 by a $50M bequest from the R. Samuel McLaughlin Foundation, MC promotes and funds inter-institutional grants in genomic medicine research, MD/PhD and Graduate Diploma in Health Research (GDipHR) programs at UofT as well as strategic meetings and workshops for outreach and knowledge translation. |
Laurent Briollais, Ph.D.
Jennifer Brooks, Ph.D.
Shelley Bull, Ph.D.
Vanessa Goncalves, Ph.D.
Andrew Paterson, MB, ChB., BSc.
Lisa Strug, Ph.D.
Lei Sun, Ph.D.
Linbo Wang, Ph.D.
Wei Deng, MSc • PhD Graduate Student – Department of Statistical Sciences
Delnaz Roshandel MD, PhD • Senior Bioinformatician - The Hospital for Sick Children
Arun Tiwari MSc, PhD • Assistant Professor - Department of Psychiatry, Division of Brain and Therapeutics
Clement Zai, PhD • Assistant Professor - Department of Psychiatry, Division of Brain and Therapeutics