Population-scale human phenotypes to find novel drug targets and insights into the global burden of disease
Part of: Population-scale Phenotypes, Drug Discovery & TransXplorer
Gane Wong
Professor
About the Presenter
Professor Gane Ka-Shu Wong holds a joint appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences (Faculty of Science) and the Department of Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry) at the University of Alberta. His primary research focus is on identifying and developing technological solutions enabled by large-scale DNA/RNA sequencing, with applications across various areas of biological and medical research. He is a key leader in the 1KP transcriptome initiative and the 10KP genome initiative, which aim to provide a genomic foundation for the evolution of plant life and other kingdoms.
This presentation explores a new approach to finding new medicines using data from millions of people. Instead of developing drugs in the traditional way, this method uses health records and genetic information combined together.
How it works:
The approach uses two key pieces of information: health data from large populations and genetic/molecular data (omics). By combining these, researchers can identify which genes or proteins might be good targets for new drugs.
Who benefits:
Doctors and hospitals get new treatment options for complex diseases that affect many body systems. Pharmaceutical and biotech companies get a better way to predict which drug targets will be approved by regulators. Researchers can use data science to predict how drugs will affect different diseases.
The big picture:
This method relies on having access to massive healthcare databases that include patient health records and genetic information. The UK Biobank is currently the best example of this type of combined dataset. However, large healthcare systems in Asia have the potential to become leaders in this field because they have access to even larger populations of patient data.
This approach could transform how we discover new medicines and understand disease.
- Event:
- Population-scale Phenotypes, Drug Discovery & TransXplorer
- Date:
- Thursday, February 26, 2026
- Time:
- 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
- Location:
-
Room ED 265, Education Building South, University of Alberta
University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
