899 W. Evelyn Ave Mountain View, CA January 24th, 2019 - 23andMe Research
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When we talk about the potential value of human genetic research, many people immediately focus on the rapidly increasing volume of genetic data that is now available for study. But as anyone in the field knows, genetic data is of limited value without its longtime partner, phenotypic data. For human genetics to have a real impact, we need to be good at collecting phenotypes — the set of individual characteristics resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment However, to talk about phenotypic data collection as a single thing is not entirely sensible, as the world of phenotypic data is incredibly broad and diverse — from disease diagnosis to biometrics, to diet and exercise habits. In addition, in order for the collection of phenotypes to scale up to the level at which we can perform adequately powered studies, the collection methods need to be efficient and cost-effective. This is currently not true for many (most) phenotypes. Fortunately, there is hope! In the same way that technology has made communication and information sharing increasingly accessible, cheap, and easy, it can do the same for data collection. Mobile apps, consumer devices, APIs to live datasets — all of these have the ability to generate high-quality data for research at scale. The key will be to bring the phenotype experts, technologists, and researchers together to work out smart solutions, and there’s no better place for that to happen than the Bay Area. This is why we are hosting the inaugural Future of Phenotyping conference — to bring together scientists from our community who are developing and using the next generation of phenotyping methods. By sharing ideas, we hope to inspire and accelerate the work that will help people live better, healthier lives. Sincerely, Joyce Tung Vice President, Research 23andMe, Inc.
9:15 AM Introduction Geoff Benton, Ph.D. | Director of Health R&D at 23andMe, Inc. 9:30 AM Keynote Talks Steve Hershman, Ph.D. | Director of mHealth at Stanford University School of Medicine Greg Sommer, Ph.D. | Founder and CSO of Sandstone Diagnostics, Inc. Akash Kumar, M.D., Ph.D. | Pediatric Genetics Resident at Stanford University School of Medicine Maayan Cohen | CEO and Co-Founder of Hello Heart, Inc. Ryan Hays | Research Assistant at Torous Lab/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School Matthew McIntyre, Ph.D. | Senior Scientist, Data Collection at 23andMe, Inc. 12:00 PM Lunch Choose a theme: Apps and Wearables • Longitudinal Engagement • Medical Records at Scale 1:30 PM 23andMe Info Sessions Choose a focus: Working at 23andMe • Collaborating with 23andMe 2:10 PM 23andMe Lightning Talks Yunru (Claire) Huang, Ph.D. | Scientist, Biostatistics Stella Aslibekyan, Ph.D. | Genetic Epidemiologist Karl Heilbron, D.Phil. | Post-Doctoral Computational Biologist Liz Babalola | Scientist, Data Collection 3:00 PM Panel Discussion Moderator: Sarah Laskey, Ph.D. | Scientist, Health R&D at 23andMe, Inc. Geoff Benton, Ph.D. | Director of Health R&D at 23andMe, Inc. Julia Hu | Founder and CEO of Lark Technologies, Inc. Scarlet Shore | Product Manager and Platform Lead at Verily Life Sciences LLC. Steve Hershman, Ph.D. | Director of mHealth at Stanford University School of Medicine 4:00 PM Happy Hour
Keynote Talks Crowdsourcing genotypes for association studies: Results from the MyHeart Counts ResearchKit study Steven Hershman, Ph.D. Director of mHealth at Stanford University School of Medicine MyHeart Counts is an open-enrollment, smartphone-based research study that uses ResearchKit to collect data about physical activity and cardiac risk factors to aid scientists studying the prevention and treatment of heart disease. More than 60,000 users in the United States, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom have discovered the app in the iOS App Store and proceed to agree to participate in the study. The free app enables users to complete tasks and answer surveys from iPhone while capturing a dataprint of their lifestyle in order to compute a summary of each user’s heart health and areas for improvement. On March 20, 2016 we released version 1.7.0 of MyHeart Counts, which included an activity that enabled existing 23andMe customers to complete a simple informed consent process and grant us access to their genotypes. Credentials are sent to the mHealth server, developed and run by Stanford’s Office of Information Resources and Technology, which then pulls genotype data from 23andMe servers in a way that is de-identified, yet linkable to the rest of the study data. To date, 1,071 distinct citizen scientists have granted us with us access to their 23andMe data. Such data can be used to validate self-reported responses. For example, we are able to use PCA to separate individuals into groups that separated based on their reported ethnicities. By correlating participants genotypes to their app data, we are able to study the interaction of genetic variation, activity levels, fitness and cardiovascular health outcomes to better understand what keeps hearts healthy. Our findings validate previously reported associations as well as discover new ones. These results show that it is possible to crowdsource genotypes and phenotypes using an open-enrollment, smartphone-based investigation for the purpose of completing genome wide association studies (GWAS).
Sperm Count - The Sixth Vital Sign? Greg Sommer, Ph.D. Founder and CSO of Sandstone Diagnostics, Inc. Male fertility is in crisis. The fertility rate has hit an all-time low in the US, and recent studies have shown that the average sperm count has plummeted by over 50% over the past 4 decades and shows no signs of leveling off. Researchers have also established a clear link between men’s reproductive health and overall health: men who have a low sperm count and fertility issues are at significantly higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Launched in 2017, Sandstone’s Trak Male Fertility Testing System is opening new insights into male reproductive health by allowing men to measure and track their sperm count and semen volume at home. Based on Sandstone’s patented CentriFluidic technology, the Trak System is a comprehensive at-home testing kit that provides the most precise sperm count measurement available along with convenient longitudinal tracking to see changes over time as men pursue health, lifestyle, and medical interventions that impact sperm production. In addition to consumer use, Trak is currently deployed in several private and NIH-funded studies investigating health and lifestyle factors that impact sperm production and fertility outcomes. Previously, male fertility studies relied on men to repeatedly visit a centralized laboratory for semen analysis. By enabling testing and reporting from home, Trak has dramatically improved the cost, convenience, and scope for fertility studies. Working with leading Urologists who specialize in male reproductive health, we have also built a personalized phenotypic assessment questionnaire to help men understand risks to their fertility and get recommendations for how to improve. With nearly 20,000 entries to date, Trak’s fertility assessment questionnaire is unlocking new insights into how health and lifestyle factors impact sperm count and fertility, and clearly emphasizes that sperm count is a marker for overall health. This talk will provide an overview of the current understandings and gaps around male reproductive health, including the phenotypes associated with impaired fertility in men. This talk will also cover the genetic tests clinically used in male infertility diagnoses. Finally, we will discuss why sperm count is increasingly viewed as a new marker for overall health in men, and may soon be considered a Sixth Vital Sign for men.
Facial Measurements for Genetic Evaluation Using a Mobile Phone Akash Kumar, M.D., Ph.D. Pediatric Genetics Resident, Stanford University School of Medicine Conventional dysmorphology involves measuring specific facial features to aid in identifying individuals with rare diseases. Future approaches may leverage computer assisted evaluation of facial images. However, 2D-image-based techniques are limited by artifacts related to projection distortion and head pose affecting measurement accuracy. Capturing 3D images can circumvent these limitations, but many current devices are bulky and difficult to use. Infrared-based sensors used for facial recognition in mobile phones (e.g. iPhone X) can now capture 3D images and their inherent portability and ubiquity may overcome major limitations of current 3D technologies. Before use in clinical practice, evaluation of their measurements under ideal and clinical circumstances is needed to identify and address sources of error. Under ideal circumstances, a mannequin head labeled with markers was used to examine accuracy of the 3dMD system (3dMD, Atlanta GA) as compared to an iPhone X face-capturing application. Three facial images were captured using both devices. Facial meshes from 3dMD and iPhone X were overlaid and aligned using a computational algorithm. Point-point distances of facial landmarks (palpebral fissure length, inner/outer canthal distance, ear length, mouth width) were calculated in triplicate for each image using MeshLab software. Error was calculated by comparing point-point distances and comparing the alignment of each facial mesh. Alignment and comparison of the mesh obtained from 3dMD and the iPhone X revealed a global alignment error of 0.42-0.60mm. The average differences in linear measurements from 3dMD and the iPhone X ranged from 0.07-1.47mm for various landmarks with measurements of lateral features more error prone than measurement of features in the anterior face. Additional studies in humans are underway. In this pilot study, the accuracy of an iPhone X facial scanner was evaluated for use in a genetics clinic. The ease of use and portability of the system are clear advantages. Limitations include the need for cooperation during scanning as well as reduced accuracy over specific facial landmarks. Additional studies are needed before the platform can be adopted as an addition to manual anthropometry and 2D photography.
Improving Hypertension and Heart Health Using Smartphone Technology: A clinical study review Maayan Cohen CEO and Co-Founder of Hello Heart, Inc. This session will review the clinical outcomes of using gamification and smartphones to increase engagement in patient health. Published in Health Information Science and Systems, the 2017 study, “Improving Patient Engagement in Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Using a Mobile Health Technology,” demonstrated improved patient engagement in cardiac patients. Hello Heart’s solution demonstrated a meaningful blood pressure drop for 50% of patients. Digital Phenotyping Towards Advancing Relapse Prediction in Serious Mental Illnesses Ryan Hays Research Assistant, Torous Lab/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School Digital phenotyping, defined as the moment-by-moment quantification of the individual-level human phenotype in-situ using data from personal digital devices, is an emerging tool in the field of psychiatric research. Traditionally, patient observation has been reserved to infrequent clinical visits using “gold standard” paper-and-pencil tests; with digital phenotyping, researchers and clinicians can now continually observe patients with serious mental illness (SMI) through the collection both active and passive social and behavioral data. Using LAMP, a digital phenotyping platform designed with behavioral health in mind, we are currently performing a 90-day longitudinal study in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. Our platform measures and quantifies the lived experiences of those with mental illness across cognition, depressive/psychotic/anxiety symptoms, physical activity and more in a temporally dense and longitudinal manner. By combining these numerous parallel data streams, we will discuss clinically-relevant insights into relapse prediction, app usability, patient engagement, and digital health ethics.
Validity of the Cold Pressor Test and Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire via Online Self-Administration Matthew McIntyre, Ph.D. Senior Scientist, Data Collection at 23andMe, Inc. Research participants from the customer base of 23andMe were invited to participate in an online version of a pain sensitivity questionnaire (PSQ) as well as a cold pressor test which is used in clinical assessments of pain. Overall our online version of the PSQ performed similarly to the original pen-and-paper version. Convergent validity of the PSQ total was demonstrated by internal consistency and consistent discrimination between more and less painful items. Criterion validity was demonstrated by correlation with pain sensitivity as measured by the cold pressor test (CPT). Within the same cohort we performed a cold pressor test using a layperson description and household equipment. Comparison with published reports from controlled studies revealed similar distributions of cold pain tolerance times (i.e., time elapsed before removing the hand from the water). Of those who elected to participate in the CPT, a large majority of participants did not report issues with the test procedure or noncompliance to the instructions (97%). We confirmed a large sex difference in CPT thresholds in line with published data, such that women removed their hands from the water at a median of 52.3 seconds, which was 31.0 seconds earlier than the median for men (Kruskal-Wallis statistic, p < 0.0001), but other factors like age or current pain treatment were, at most, weakly associated, and inconsistent between men and women. We introduced a new paradigm for performing pain testing, called testing@home, that showed comparable results to studies conducted under controlled conditions and supervision of a healthcare professional.
Lunch Choose a theme Apps and Wearables Longitudinal Engagement Medical Records at Scale 23andMe Info Session Choose a focus Working at 23andMe Collaborating with 23andMe Timeless - 4th Floor Lunchroom
Lightning Talks Brain games: Implementation and research insights of online cognitive assessments Yunru (Claire) Huang, Ph.D. Scientist, Biostatistics Studies suggest complicated relationships among genetics, aging and brain functions. This talk will describe our five cognitive games, which measure specific aspects of brain aptitude, as well as discuss the performance of over 40,000 23andMe consented research participants. Using 23andMe data to explore the phenomes of Parkinson’s disease and cognitive function Stella Aslibekyan, Ph.D. Genetic Epidemiologist Karl Heilbron, D.Phil. Post-Doctoral Computational Biologist The 23andMe database contains a wealth of phenotypes derived from online surveys and games. Using these data, we comprehensively characterized the phenomes of both Parkinson’s disease and cognitive game performance. Hear me out: Implementing a web-based hearing assessment Liz Babalola Scientist, Biostatistics Hearing loss has been associated with social isolation, depression, cognitive decline and reduced physical well-being among older adults. This project aims to identify the environmental and genetic factors contributing to age-related hearing impairment in the 23andMe cohort using an online validated digits-in-noise test.
Panel Discussion Future opportunities and challenges in phenotyping large cohorts Moderator: Sarah Laskey, Ph.D. Scientist, Health R&D at 23andMe, Inc. Steven Hershman, Ph.D. Julia Hu Director of mHealth at Stanford Founder and CEO of University School of Medicine Lark Technologies, Inc. Geoff Benton, Ph.D. Scarlet Shore Director of Health R&D at Product Manager and Platform Lead 23andMe, Inc. at Verily Life Sciences LLC Happy Hour
Resources Interested in… ...collaborating with 23andMe? Please visit: https://research.23andme.com/collaborate/ ...careers at 23andMe? Please visit: https://www.23andme.com/careers/ ...23andMe publications? Please visit: https://research.23andme.com/publications/ ...latest news from 23andMe? Follow @23andMeResearch on Twitter Let us know what you thought of Future of Phenotyping! Fill out a survey at https://research.23andme.com/phenosurvey/ by 1/28 for the chance to win a free 23andMe kit.
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