ProtectHearts

ProtectHearts

Proteomics for Heart Disease Prediction


About ProtectHearts

About ProtectHearts

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death globally for men and women. State-of-the art clinical risk prediction models for CVD use conventional risk factors and polygenic scores (PGS)—a measure of an individuals’ inherited CVD risk. However, the accuracy of current models is moderate and worse in women than men. Protein markers of CVD represent an individual’s current health state and both inherited and environmental disease risk. Indeed, there is evidence that combining conventional risk factors, PGS, and protein markers of CVD may facilitate vast improvements in CVD risk prediction. Furthermore, by modelling inflammation- specific protein markers missing from sex-specific CVD risk models, ProtectHearts will specifically capture excess risk in women.

ProtectHearts will use the world’s largest population-biobank-linked proteomics datasets to 1) develop a novel protein-based risk score (ProtRS); 2) develop an inflammation-specific ProtRS (i-ProtRS); and 3) estimate the clinical utility of these scores when modelled with clinical risk scores and PGS. Cutting-edge machine learning algorithms will be used to establish target proteins for CVD prediction in 100,000 individuals across four European biobanks.

ProtectHearts brings together a physician-scientist Supervisor with proteomics expertise and a Fellow with experience modelling CVD risk prediction using PGS in biobanks. Through a secondment and non-academic placement, the Fellow will gain intersectoral experience. Activities of the training and dissemination work packages will build her competencies in machine learning, advanced statistics and science communication. ProtectHearts will engage clinicians in exploitation of the new sex-specific, comprehensive CVD risk prediction model.

ProtectHearts has the potential to move CVD risk prediction beyond state-of-the-art by improving risk prediction accuracy, specifically in women, using protein-based markers for CVD and CVD-related inflammation.


Blogs

RSS

Thanks to the COST Action Network for implementing multiomic approachces in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease prevention reservation (AtheroNET) for funding a Short-Term Scientific Mission to Helsinki, Finland. This allowed Researcher Brooke Wolford to advance aims of the ProtectHearts project at the Institute of Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) with Professor Samuli Ripatti. Check out...

On Wednesday, June 19, Karianna Skjærstein succesfully defended her thesis to receive her Master's in Global Health from the Faculty of Medicine and Health at NTNU. Many thanks to internal reviewer Dr. Rebecka Hjort of NTNU and external reviewer Dr. Kristi Läll from the University of Tartu. Also thanks to co-authors on the work Dr. Ida. Surakka from the University of Michigan and Dr. Therese...

I'm incredibly fortunate to supervise/co-supervise these intelligent and tenacious women on genetic epidemiology projects at NTNU! This weekend we celebrated the end of the 2023-2024 academic year with an afternoon sailing trip on Trondheimsfjord! Hopefully the start of an annual tradition for our research team! Congrats to Karianne for delivering her Master's thesis titled "Polygenic...

Nora Grøtting, a Medical Research Track student at NTNU, begins research co-supervised by Associate Professor Linda Ernsten and Dr. Brooke Wolford during this Fall semester. She will begin research on the connection between cardiovascular disease and dementia using the Trøndelag Health Study. Welcome to the team Nora! 

Karianne Skjærstein, a Master's of Global Health student at NTNU, will begin research for her thesis this Fall supervised by Dr. Brooke Wolford. She will focus on predicting heart disease risk in women and young people using genetic risk scores. Welcome to the team Karianne!  Samantha Sweig for The Michigan Daily

On February 13, 2023 I received notice that my project, Proteomics for Heart Disease Prediction (ProtectHearts) was funded in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Individual Fellowship competition from 2022! This project is hosted at NTNU with a secondment at the Institute of Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) and a non-academic placement at deCODE genetics. I'm excited to use...

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Acknowledgements

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Horizon Europe

Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT)

Mentors: Professor Kristian Hveem (NTNU), Professor Samuli Ripatti (FIMM), Dr. Hannes Helgason (deCODE genetics)

Collaborate

Collaborate

Email me at brookewo@ntnu.no to collaborate!

 


GitHub

GitHub

 Visit the project GitHub site.