Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics (GPB) is interested in submissions across all areas of life science, biology, and biomedicine, focusing on large data acquisition, analysis, and curation.

Submission Deadline: December 31, 2024

Introduction: The journal Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics (GPB) invites researchers to contribute to the special issue "New Era of Large Cohort Studies" (to be published in the Spring of 2025), which will aim to explore advancements, methodologies, and applications of large cohort studies in biomedical research.

Large cohort studies play a vital role in understanding the interplay of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors in diseases and health conditions. The UK Biobank, China Kadoorie Biobank, and All of Us (USA) cohorts have leveraged data collection and electronic medical record linkage in large populations to fuel better understanding of disease prediction and pathology.

However, gaining insights from diverse datasets requires integrating results from multiple large-scale biobanks as well as more specifically ascertained small-sample cohorts, which requires more innovative methodologies. Collaborative efforts and data-sharing initiatives have significantly advanced our understanding of the risk or causal factors of various traits and diseases. However, challenges related to discovery power, data harmonization, data privacy, and ethical considerations need to be addressed to fully exploit the potential of meta-studies and data sharing.

Scope: To enhance the development, utilization, and application of large cohort studies, this issue seeks cutting-edge research relevant to large cohort studies, encouraging integration of multi-omics, big data science, and innovative methodologies for advancing precise disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, approaches for data harmonization, sharing, and collaboration; collaborative initiatives and platforms for sharing data; data integration and meta-analysis across diverse populations; applications in understanding risk factors or determinants of health and diseases; digital health technologies and real-time risk monitoring; evaluation and revision of interventions and policies; discovery of disease subtypes and biomarkers; individualized disease risk prediction and precision medicine; and evaluation of lifestyle interventions and public health policies.

Submission: Manuscripts with the article type of original research, review, perspective, database, webserver, method, application note, protocol, etc. are all welcome. The deadline for submissions to this issue is December 31, 2024. Please submit your manuscripts online at https://www.editorialmanager.com/gpb/, indicate that the submission is for this special issue in the cover letter, and choose “SI: Large Cohort” as the article type at manuscript submission. 

Guest Editors: The guest editors are Dr. Minxian Wang (Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences/ China National Center for Bioinformation), Dr. Yajie Zhao (University of Cambridge), and Dr. Aniruddh Patel (Massachusetts General Hospital and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard).

For further information, please visit journal homepage at https://academic.oup.com/gpb or contact us as follows: Dr. Minxian Wang (wangmx@big.ac.cn); Dr. Yajie Zhao (yajie.zhao@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk); Dr. Aniruddh Patel (aniruddh@broadinstitute.org); Editorial Office (editor@big.ac.cn).

Minxian Wang

Dr. Minxian Wang is a professor and principal investigator at the Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation. His lab aims to promote precise treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases at the population scale, through uncovering novel disease-causing genes, deciphering genetic mechanisms, developing new therapeutic targets, and advancing personalized disease risk prediction.

Yajie Zhao

Dr Yajie Zhao is an MRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Cambridge, where he obtained his PhD. His research focuses on linking diseases and phenotypes, especially clonal hematopoiesis and metabolic related phenotypes, to their genetic causes using data from large cohorts. He was the postdoctoral finalist for the 2023 Trainee Awards for Excellence in Human Genetics Research for the 2023 Annual Meeting of the ASHG. He was selected to give a platform talk at the 2022 ASHG, a plenary talk at the 2023 ASHG. He also founded the Human Genetics Network, a professional network for researchers in related areas. 

Aniruddh Patel

Dr. Aniruddh Patel is a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital focused on multi-modal cardiovascular risk prediction. His current research focuses on integrating genetics, biomarkers, and race/ethnicity into disease prediction, with a particular interest in understanding cardiovascular risk among South Asian individuals.