Department of Genomic Function and Diversity

 Complex diseases such as immunological diseases, metabolic diseases and cancer diseases are caused by both genetic and environmental factors, with varying combinations in different individuals. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have led to the discovery of thousands of risk variants involved in these diseases, but the precise mechanisms of the diseases are not fully understood. Our laboratory aims to elucidate the disease etiology by dissecting the diversity of genomic function among individuals. To this end, we integrate bioinformatic approaches with molecular biology techniques in the analysis of genetic variants such as expression QTL and splicing QTL mapping. We will also establish to predict each individual’s pathophysiology (disease severity, drug response, etc.) based on the individual’s genome information to bring precision medicine into clinical practice.