
Overview
Background
Dr Jian Zeng is a statistical geneticist and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) at the University of Queensland (UQ). He received his PhD in animal breeding and genetics at Iowa State University and joined the Program in Complex Trait Genomics (PCTG) at UQ in 2016. His research focuses on the development and application of innovative statistical methods for estimating the genetic architecture and evolutionary signals in complex traits, identifying genetic variants, genes and other molecular intermediates associated with phenotype variation, and predicting trait phenotypes using genome sequence data. In 2019, he was awarded an NHMRC Investigator Emerging Leadership Grant to develop statistical methods and software tools for best predict an individual’s disease risk using genomic and omics data. He was an invited speaker at the prestigious Gordon Research Conference in 2019.
Availability
- Dr Jian Zeng is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Iowa
Research interests
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Understanding genetic architecture and evolution of complex traits
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Prediction of polygenic scores of complex traits and diseases
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Mapping causal variants, genes and regulatory elements using multi-omics data
Works
Search Professor Jian Zeng’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2024
Journal Article
Leveraging functional genomic annotations and genome coverage to improve polygenic prediction of complex traits within and between ancestries
Zheng, Zhili, Liu, Shouye, Sidorenko, Julia, Wang, Ying, Lin, Tian, Yengo, Loic, Turley, Patrick, Ani, Alireza, Wang, Rujia, Nolte, Ilja M., Snieder, Harold, Aguirre-Gamboa, Raul, Deelen, Patrick, Franke, Lude, Kuivenhoven, Jan A., Lopera Maya, Esteban A., Sanna, Serena, Swertz, Morris A., Vonk, Judith M., Wijmenga, Cisca, Yang, Jian, Wray, Naomi R., Goddard, Michael E., Visscher, Peter M., Zeng, Jian and LifeLines Cohort Study (2024). Leveraging functional genomic annotations and genome coverage to improve polygenic prediction of complex traits within and between ancestries. Nature Genetics, 56 (5), 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41588-024-01704-y
Featured
2023
Journal Article
Joint analysis of GWAS and multi-omics QTL summary statistics reveals a large fraction of GWAS signals shared with molecular phenotypes
Wu, Yang, Qi, Ting, Wray, Naomi R., Visscher, Peter M., Zeng, Jian and Yang, Jian (2023). Joint analysis of GWAS and multi-omics QTL summary statistics reveals a large fraction of GWAS signals shared with molecular phenotypes. Cell Genomics, 3 (8) 100344, 100344. doi: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100344
Featured
2023
Journal Article
mBAT-combo: a more powerful test to detect gene-trait associations from GWAS data
Li, Ang, Liu, Shouye, Bakshi, Andrew, Jiang, Longda, Chen, Wenhan, Zheng, Zhili, Sullivan, Patrick F., Visscher, Peter M., Wray, Naomi R., Yang, Jian and Zeng, Jian (2023). mBAT-combo: a more powerful test to detect gene-trait associations from GWAS data. American Journal of Human Genetics, 110 (1), 30-43. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.12.006
Featured
2021
Journal Article
Widespread signatures of natural selection across human complex traits and functional genomic categories
Zeng, Jian, Xue, Angli, Jiang, Longda, Lloyd-Jones, Luke R., Wu, Yang, Wang, Huanwei, Zheng, Zhili, Yengo, Loic, Kemper, Kathryn E., Goddard, Michael E., Wray, Naomi R., Visscher, Peter M. and Yang, Jian (2021). Widespread signatures of natural selection across human complex traits and functional genomic categories. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 1164, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21446-3
Featured
2021
Journal Article
Correction: Genome-wide analyses of behavioural traits are subject to bias by misreports and longitudinal changes
Xue, Angli, Jiang, Longda, Zhu, Zhihong, Wray, Naomi R., Visscher, Peter M., Zeng, Jian and Yang, Jian (2021). Correction: Genome-wide analyses of behavioural traits are subject to bias by misreports and longitudinal changes. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 988, 988. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21294-1
Featured
2019
Journal Article
Improved polygenic prediction by Bayesian multiple regression on summary statistics
Lloyd-Jones, Luke R., Zeng, Jian, Sidorenko, Julia, Yengo, Loïc, Moser, Gerhard, Kemper, Kathryn E., Wang, Huanwei, Zheng, Zhili, Magi, Reedik, Esko, Tõnu, Metspalu, Andres, Wray, Naomi R., Goddard, Michael E., Yang, Jian and Visscher, Peter M. (2019). Improved polygenic prediction by Bayesian multiple regression on summary statistics. Nature Communications, 10 (1) 5086, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12653-0
Featured
2018
Journal Article
Genome-wide association analyses identify 143 risk variants and putative regulatory mechanisms for type 2 diabetes
Xue, Angli, Wu, Yang, Zhu, Zhihong, Zhang, Futao, Kemper, Kathryn E., Zheng, Zhili, Yengo, Loic, Lloyd-Jones, Luke R., Sidorenko, Julia, Wu, Yeda, eQTLGen Consortium, McRae, Allan F., Visscher, Peter M., Zeng, Jian and Yang, Jian (2018). Genome-wide association analyses identify 143 risk variants and putative regulatory mechanisms for type 2 diabetes. Nature Communications, 9 (1) 2941, 2941. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04951-w
Featured
2018
Journal Article
Signatures of negative selection in the genetic architecture of human complex traits
Zeng, Jian, de Vlaming, Ronald, Wu, Yang, Robinson, Matthew R., Lloyd-Jones, Luke R., Yengo, Loic, Yap, Chloe X., Xue, Angli, Sidorenko, Julia, McRae, Allan F., Powell, Joseph E., Montgomery, Grant W., Metspalu, Andres, Esko, Tonu, Gibson, Greg, Wray, Naomi R., Visscher, Peter M. and Yang, Jian (2018). Signatures of negative selection in the genetic architecture of human complex traits. Nature Genetics, 50 (5), 746-753. doi: 10.1038/s41588-018-0101-4
Featured
2018
Journal Article
Integrative analysis of omics summary data reveals putative mechanisms underlying complex traits
Wu, Yang, Zeng, Jian, Zhang, Futao, Zhu, Zhihong, Qi, Ting, Zheng, Zhili, Lloyd-Jones, Luke R., Marioni, Riccardo E., Martin, Nicholas G., Montgomery, Grant W., Deary, Ian J., Wray, Naomi R., Visscher, Peter M., McRae, Allan F. and Yang, Jian (2018). Integrative analysis of omics summary data reveals putative mechanisms underlying complex traits. Nature Communications, 9 (918) 918, 918. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03371-0
2025
Journal Article
MUTATE: a human genetic atlas of multiorgan artificial intelligence endophenotypes using genome-wide association summary statistics
Boquet-Pujadas, Aleix, Zeng, Jian, Tian, Ye Ella, Yang, Zhijian, Shen, Li, Zalesky, Andrew, Davatzikos, Christos and Wen, Junhao (2025). MUTATE: a human genetic atlas of multiorgan artificial intelligence endophenotypes using genome-wide association summary statistics. Briefings in Bioinformatics, 26 (2) bbaf125. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbaf125
2025
Journal Article
Connecting genomic results for psychiatric disorders to human brain cell types and regions reveals convergence with functional connectivity
Yao, Shuyang, Harder, Arvid, Darki, Fahimeh, Chang, Yu-Wei, Li, Ang, Nikouei, Kasra, Volpe, Giovanni, Lundström, Johan N., Zeng, Jian, Wray, Naomi R., Lu, Yi, Sullivan, Patrick F. and Hjerling-Leffler, Jens (2025). Connecting genomic results for psychiatric disorders to human brain cell types and regions reveals convergence with functional connectivity. Nature Communications, 16 (1) 395, 395. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-55611-1
2025
Journal Article
Tracing human trait evolution through integrative genomics and temporal annotations
Zeng, Jian (2025). Tracing human trait evolution through integrative genomics and temporal annotations. Cell Genomics, 5 (2) 100767, 100767-2. doi: 10.1016/j.xgen.2025.100767
2025
Journal Article
Trans-ancestry genome-wide study of depression identifies 697 associations implicating cell types and pharmacotherapies
Adams, Mark J., Streit, Fabian, Meng, Xiangrui, Awasthi, Swapnil, Adey, Brett N., Choi, Karmel W., Chundru, V. Kartik, Coleman, Jonathan R.I., Ferwerda, Bart, Foo, Jerome C., Gerring, Zachary F., Giannakopoulou, Olga, Gupta, Priya, Hall, Alisha S.M., Harder, Arvid, Howard, David M., Hübel, Christopher, Kwong, Alex S.F., Levey, Daniel F., Mitchell, Brittany L., Ni, Guiyan, Ota, Vanessa K., Pain, Oliver, Pathak, Gita A., Schulte, Eva C., Shen, Xueyi, Thorp, Jackson G., Walker, Alicia, Yao, Shuyang ... McIntosh, Andrew M. (2025). Trans-ancestry genome-wide study of depression identifies 697 associations implicating cell types and pharmacotherapies. Cell, 188 (3), 640-652.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.12.002
2024
Journal Article
DINGO: increasing the power of locus discovery in maternal and fetal genome-wide association studies of perinatal traits
Hwang, Liang-Dar, Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel, Yengo, Loic, Zeng, Jian, Toivonen, Jarkko, Arvas, Mikko, Beaumont, Robin N., Freathy, Rachel M., Moen, Gunn-Helen, Warrington, Nicole M. and Evans, David M. (2024). DINGO: increasing the power of locus discovery in maternal and fetal genome-wide association studies of perinatal traits. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 9255, 1-14. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53495-9
2024
Conference Publication
Genome-wide Fine-mapping Improves Identification Of Causal Variants
Zeng, Jian, Wu, Yang, Zheng, Zhili, Thibaut, Loic, Goddard, Michael, Wray, Naomi and Visscher, Peter (2024). Genome-wide Fine-mapping Improves Identification Of Causal Variants. World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics WCPG 2024, Singapore, 15-19 October 2024. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.037
2024
Journal Article
Brain cell-type shifts in Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and schizophrenia interrogated using methylomics and genetics
Yap, Chloe X., Vo, Daniel D., Heffel, Matthew G., Bhattacharya, Arjun, Wen, Cindy, Yang, Yuanhao, Kemper, Kathryn E., Zeng, Jian, Zheng, Zhili, Zhu, Zhihong, Hannon, Eilis, Vellame, Dorothea Seiler, Franklin, Alice, Caggiano, Christa, Wamsley, Brie, Geschwind, Daniel H., Zaitlen, Noah, Gusev, Alexander, Pasaniuc, Bogdan, Mill, Jonathan, Luo, Chongyuan and Gandal, Michael J. (2024). Brain cell-type shifts in Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and schizophrenia interrogated using methylomics and genetics. Science Advances, 10 (21) adn7655, eadn7655. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn7655
2024
Journal Article
Genome-wide analysis in over 1 million individuals of European ancestry yields improved polygenic risk scores for blood pressure traits
Keaton, Jacob M., Kamali, Zoha, Xie, Tian, Vaez, Ahmad, Williams, Ariel, Goleva, Slavina B., Ani, Alireza, Evangelou, Evangelos, Hellwege, Jacklyn N., Yengo, Loic, Young, William J., Traylor, Matthew, Giri, Ayush, Zheng, Zhili, Zeng, Jian, Chasman, Daniel I., Morris, Andrew P., Caulfield, Mark J., Hwang, Shih-Jen, Kooner, Jaspal S., Conen, David, Attia, John R., Morrison, Alanna C., Loos, Ruth J. F., Kristiansson, Kati, Schmidt, Reinhold, Hicks, Andrew A., Pramstaller, Peter P., Nelson, Christopher P. ... ICBP Consortium (2024). Genome-wide analysis in over 1 million individuals of European ancestry yields improved polygenic risk scores for blood pressure traits. Nature Genetics, 56 (5), 1-14. doi: 10.1038/s41588-024-01714-w
2024
Journal Article
Unravelling the complex causal effects of substance use behaviours on common diseases
Xue, Angli, Zhu, Zhihong, Wang, Huanwei, Jiang, Longda, Visscher, Peter M., Zeng, Jian and Yang, Jian (2024). Unravelling the complex causal effects of substance use behaviours on common diseases. Communications Medicine, 4 (1) 43, 1-13. doi: 10.1038/s43856-024-00473-3
2023
Journal Article
HOPX-associated molecular programs control cardiomyocyte cell states underpinning cardiac structure and function
Friedman, Clayton E., Cheetham, Seth W., Negi, Sumedha, Mills, Richard J., Ogawa, Masahito, Redd, Meredith A., Chiu, Han Sheng, Shen, Sophie, Sun, Yuliangzi, Mizikovsky, Dalia, Bouveret, Romaric, Chen, Xiaoli, Voges, Holly K., Paterson, Scott, De Angelis, Jessica E., Andersen, Stacey B., Cao, Yuanzhao, Wu, Yang, Jafrani, Yohaann M.A., Yoon, Sohye, Faulkner, Geoffrey J., Smith, Kelly A., Porrello, Enzo, Harvey, Richard P., Hogan, Benjamin M., Nguyen, Quan, Zeng, Jian, Kikuchi, Kazu, Hudson, James E. and Palpant, Nathan J. (2023). HOPX-associated molecular programs control cardiomyocyte cell states underpinning cardiac structure and function. Developmental Cell, 59 (1), 91-107.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.012
2023
Journal Article
Developing flexible models for genetic evaluations in smallholder crossbred dairy farms
Costilla, R., Zeng, J., Al Kalaldeh, M., Swaminathan, M., Gibson, J.P., Ducrocq, V. and Hayes, B.J. (2023). Developing flexible models for genetic evaluations in smallholder crossbred dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science, 106 (12), 9125-9135. doi: 10.3168/jds.2022-23135
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Jian Zeng is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Genetic architecture and evolution of complex traits across populations in humans
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Visscher, Professor Naomi Wray, Dr Fleur Garton
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Doctor Philosophy
Integrating GWAS and molecular QTL data to dissect genetic architecture and improve polygenic prediction
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Statistical methods for risk prediction of common diseases
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Novel methods and data integration to understand the causes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Allan McRae, Dr Fleur Garton
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the pathophysiology of stroke using bioinformatics and statistical genetics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Asaduzzaman Khan, Dr Mohammad Ali Moni
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Doctor Philosophy
Using genomic data and epigenetic annotations to identify genetic causes of cell differentiation
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Nathan Palpant, Dr Amy Hanna
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the pathophysiology of stroke using bioinformatics and statistical genetics approaches
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Asaduzzaman Khan, Dr Mohammad Ali Moni
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the pathophysiology of stroke using bioinformatics and statistical genetics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Asaduzzaman Khan, Dr Mohammad Ali Moni
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Doctor Philosophy
Spatial transcriptomics and Single-cell Interaction Analysis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Laura Grice, Dr Laura Genovesi, Dr Quan Nguyen
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
The influence of genetic and environmental factors on inter-individual and inter-population variations
Principal Advisor
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Development and application of statistical methods to identify genes and cell types associated with complex traits
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Naomi Wray
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Identification of genetic and modifiable risk factors for complex diseases
Associate Advisor
Media
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