Overview
Background
Dr Loic Yengo is an Associate Professor at The University of Queensland (UQ) and Group Leader of the Statistical Genomics Laboratory within UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience. After completing a PhD in applied mathematics and statistics at the University of Lille (France) in 2014, he joined UQ in 2016 for postdoctoral training in Quantitative and Statistical Genetics. Loic started his own lab in 2020 to investigate the causes and consequences of genetic variation within and between human populations. His group develops and applies novel statistical methods to analyse large volumes of genomic data. Loic’s research has contributed to improving understanding of the genetic and phenotypic consequences of non-random mating (inbreeding and assortative mating) in human populations and has led to identifying novel genetic variants associated with complex traits and diseases. Loic was named among the top 40 rising stars of research by The Australian newspaper in 2021 and received the UQ Foundation research excellence award the same year. Loic is the 2022 recipient of the Ruth Stephens Gani Medal of the Australian Academy of Science recognizing outstanding contributions to research in human genetics, and was named in Nature Medicine’s 2022 Yearbook among 11 early-career researchers “to watch”.
Availability
- Associate Professor Loic Yengo is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Université Lille 1 - Sciences et Technologies
Research impacts
The research in the Yengo Lab contributes to the discovery of genes and biological pathways involved in the etiology of multifactorial diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. The ultimate goal of our research is to better understand what genes underlie inter-individual variation in disease susceptibility and help translate that knowledge into new and personalised therapies.
Works
Search Professor Loic Yengo’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
Genetic influence on within-person longitudinal change in anthropometric traits in the UK Biobank
Kemper, Kathryn E., Sidorenko, Julia, Wang, Huanwei, Hayes, Ben J., Wray, Naomi R., Yengo, Loic, Keller, Matthew C., Goddard, Michael and Visscher, Peter M. (2024). Genetic influence on within-person longitudinal change in anthropometric traits in the UK Biobank. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 3776, 3776. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47802-7
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
2024
Journal Article
The impact of assortative mating, participation bias and socioeconomic status on the polygenic risk of behavioural and psychiatric traits
Cabrera-Mendoza, Brenda, Wendt, Frank R., Pathak, Gita A., Yengo, Loic and Polimanti, Renato (2024). The impact of assortative mating, participation bias and socioeconomic status on the polygenic risk of behavioural and psychiatric traits. Nature Human Behaviour, 8 (5), 976-987. doi: 10.1038/s41562-024-01828-5
2024
Journal Article
Genome-wide association study meta-analysis of dizygotic twinning illuminates genetic regulation of female fecundity
Mbarek, Hamdi, Gordon, Scott D., Duffy, David L., Hubers, Nikki, Mortlock, Sally, Beck, Jeffrey J., Hottenga, Jouke-Jan, Pool, René, Dolan, Conor V., Actkins, Ky’Era V., Gerring, Zachary F., Van Dongen, Jenny, Ehli, Erik A., Iacono, William G., Mcgue, Matt, Chasman, Daniel I., Gallagher, C. Scott, Schilit, Samantha L. P., Morton, Cynthia C., Paré, Guillaume, Willemsen, Gonneke, Whiteman, David C., Olsen, Catherine M., Derom, Catherine, Vlietinck, Robert, Gudbjartsson, Daniel, Cannon-Albright, Lisa, Krapohl, Eva, Plomin, Robert ... Martin, Nicholas G. (2024). Genome-wide association study meta-analysis of dizygotic twinning illuminates genetic regulation of female fecundity. Human Reproduction, 39 (1), 240-257. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dead247
2024
Journal Article
SMIM1 absence is associated with reduced energy expenditure and excess weight
Stefanucci, Luca, Moslemi, Camous, Tomé, Ana R., Virtue, Samuel, Bidault, Guillaume, Gleadall, Nicholas S., Watson, Laura P.E., Kwa, Jing E., Burden, Frances, Farrow, Samantha, Banasik, Karina, Bay, Jakob, Boldsen, Jens Kjærgaard, Brodersen, Thorsten, Brunak, Søren, Burgdorf, Kristoffer, Chalmer, Mona Ameri, Didriksen, Maria, Dinh, Khoa Manh, Dowsett, Joseph, Erikstrup, Christian, Feenstra, Bjarke, Geller, Frank, Gudbjartsson, Daniel, Hansen, Thomas Folkmann, Hindhede, Lotte, Hjalgrim, Henrik, Jacobsen, Rikke Louise, Jemec, Gregor ... Frontini, Mattia (2024). SMIM1 absence is associated with reduced energy expenditure and excess weight. Med. doi: 10.1016/j.medj.2024.05.015
2023
Journal Article
Cross-ancestry analyses identify new genetic loci associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D
Wang, Xiaotong, Hivert, Valentin, Groot, Shiane, Wang, Ying, Yengo, Loic, McGrath, John J., Kemper, Kathryn E., Visscher, Peter M., Wray, Naomi R. and Revez, Joana A. (2023). Cross-ancestry analyses identify new genetic loci associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D. PLoS Genetics, 19 (11) e1011033, e1011033. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011033
2023
Conference Publication
Leveraging functional genomic annotations and genome coverage to improve polygenic prediction of complex traits within and between ancestries
Zeng, Jian, Zheng, Zhili, Liu, Shouye, Sidorenko, Julia, Yengo, Loic, Turley, Patrick, Ani, Alireza, Wang, Rujia, Nolte, Ilja, Snieder, Harold, Yang, Jian, Wray, Naomi, Goddard, Michael and Visscher, Peter (2023). Leveraging functional genomic annotations and genome coverage to improve polygenic prediction of complex traits within and between ancestries. World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics (WCPG), Montreal, ON, Canada, 10 - 14 October 2023. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier BV. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.08.063
2023
Journal Article
Identification and analysis of individuals who deviate from their genetically-predicted phenotype
Hawkes, Gareth, Yengo, Loic, Vedantam, Sailaja, Marouli, Eirini, Beaumont, Robin N., Tyrrell, Jessica, Weedon, Michael N., Hirschhorn, Joel, Frayling, Timothy M. and Wood, Andrew R. (2023). Identification and analysis of individuals who deviate from their genetically-predicted phenotype. PLoS Genetics, 19 (9) e1010934. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010934
2023
Journal Article
Boosting the power of genome-wide association studies within and across ancestries by using polygenic scores
Campos, Adrian I., Namba, Shinichi, Lin, Shu-Chin, Nam, Kisung, Sidorenko, Julia, Wang, Huanwei, Kamatani, Yoichiro, The Biobank Japan Project, Wang, Ling-Hua, Lee, Seunggeun, Lin, Yen-Feng, Feng, Yen-Chen Anne, Okada, Yukinori, Visscher, Peter M. and Yengo, Loic (2023). Boosting the power of genome-wide association studies within and across ancestries by using polygenic scores. Nature Genetics, 55 (10), 1769-1776. doi: 10.1038/s41588-023-01500-0
2023
Journal Article
Erratum to: Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19 (Nature, (2021), 600, 7889, (472-477), 10.1038/s41586-021-03767-x)
Niemi, Mari E. K., Karjalainen, Juha, Liao, Rachel G., Neale, Benjamin M., Daly, Mark, Ganna, Andrea, Pathak, Gita A., Andrews, Shea J., Kanai, Masahiro, Veerapen, Kumar, Fernandez-Cadenas, Israel, Schulte, Eva C., Striano, Pasquale, Marttila, Minttu, Minica, Camelia, Marouli, Eirini, Karim, Mohd Anisul, Wendt, Frank R., Savage, Jeanne, Sloofman, Laura, Butler-Laporte, Guillaume, Kim, Han-Na, Kanoni, Stavroula, Okada, Yukinori, Byun, Jinyoung, Han, Younghun, Uddin, Mohammed Jashim, Smith, George Davey, Willer, Cristen J. ... Donohue, Chloe (2023). Erratum to: Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19 (Nature, (2021), 600, 7889, (472-477), 10.1038/s41586-021-03767-x). Nature, 621 (7977), E7-E26. doi: 10.1093/1476-4687
2023
Journal Article
Genome-wide association analysis identifies ancestry-specific genetic variation associated with acute response to metformin and glipizide in SUGAR-MGH
Li, Josephine H., Brenner, Laura N., Kaur, Varinderpal, Figueroa, Katherine, Schroeder, Philip, Huerta-Chagoya, Alicia, Chen, Ji, Spracklen, Cassandra N., Marenne, Gaëlle, Varshney, Arushi, Corbin, Laura J., Luan, Jian’an, Willems, Sara M., Wu, Ying, Zhang, Xiaoshuai, Horikoshi, Momoko, Boutin, Thibaud S., Mägi, Reedik, Waage, Johannes, Li-Gao, Ruifang, Chan, Kei Hang Katie, Yao, Jie, Anasanti, Mila D., Chu, Audrey Y., Claringbould, Annique, Heikkinen, Jani, Hong, Jaeyoung, Hottenga, Jouke-Jan, Huo, Shaofeng ... Florez, Jose C. (2023). Genome-wide association analysis identifies ancestry-specific genetic variation associated with acute response to metformin and glipizide in SUGAR-MGH. Diabetologia, 66 (7), 1260-1272. doi: 10.1007/s00125-023-05922-7
2023
Journal Article
Genome-wide CRISPR screening of chondrocyte maturation newly implicates genes in skeletal growth and height-associated GWAS loci
Baronas, John M., Bartell, Eric, Eliasen, Anders, Doench, John G., Yengo, Loic, Vedantam, Sailaja, Marouli, Eirini, Kronenberg, Henry M., Hirschhorn, Joel N. and Renthal, Nora E. (2023). Genome-wide CRISPR screening of chondrocyte maturation newly implicates genes in skeletal growth and height-associated GWAS loci. Cell Genomics, 3 (5) 100299, 100299. doi: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100299
2023
Journal Article
Mate choice through a genomic lens
Yengo, Loic (2023). Mate choice through a genomic lens. Nature Reviews Genetics, 24 (10), 664-664. doi: 10.1038/s41576-023-00605-w
2023
Journal Article
15 years of GWAS discovery: realizing the promise
Abdellaoui, Abdel, Yengo, Loic, Verweij, Karin J. H. and Visscher, Peter M. (2023). 15 years of GWAS discovery: realizing the promise. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 110 (2), 179-194. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.12.011
2023
Journal Article
Estimation and implications of the genetic architecture of fasting and non-fasting blood glucose
Qiao, Zhen, Sidorenko, Julia, Revez, Joana A., Xue, Angli, Lu, Xueling, Pärna, Katri, Snieder, Harold, Visscher, Peter M., Wray, Naomi R., Yengo, Loic and Lifelines Cohort Study (2023). Estimation and implications of the genetic architecture of fasting and non-fasting blood glucose. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 451, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-36013-1
2023
Journal Article
Genetic and modifiable risk factors combine multiplicatively in common disease
Pang, Shichao, Yengo, Loic, Nelson, Christopher P., Bourier, Felix, Zeng, Lingyao, Li, Ling, Kessler, Thorsten, Erdmann, Jeanette, Mägi, Reedik, Läll, Kristi, Metspalu, Andres, Mueller-Myhsok, Bertram, Samani, Nilesh J., Visscher, Peter M. and Schunkert, Heribert (2023). Genetic and modifiable risk factors combine multiplicatively in common disease. Clinical Research in Cardiology, 112 (2), 247-257. doi: 10.1007/s00392-022-02081-4
2022
Conference Publication
Discoveries and lessons from a genome-wide association study of human height in >5 million individuals
Yengo, L. and on behalf of GIANT Consortium (the height working group) (2022). Discoveries and lessons from a genome-wide association study of human height in >5 million individuals. 12th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP), Rotterdam, Netherlands, 3-8 July 2022. Wageningen, Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers. doi: 10.3920/978-90-8686-940-4_3
2022
Journal Article
Genomics and phenomics of body mass index reveals a complex disease network
Huang, Jie, Huffman, Jennifer E., Huang, Yunfeng, Do Valle, Ítalo, Assimes, Themistocles L., Raghavan, Sridharan, Voight, Benjamin F., Liu, Chang, Barabási, Albert-László, Huang, Rose D. L., Hui, Qin, Nguyen, Xuan-Mai T., Ho, Yuk-Lam, Djousse, Luc, Lynch, Julie A., Vujkovic, Marijana, Tcheandjieu, Catherine, Tang, Hua, Damrauer, Scott M., Reaven, Peter D., Miller, Donald, Phillips, Lawrence S., Ng, Maggie C. Y., Graff, Mariaelisa, Haiman, Christopher A., Loos, Ruth J. F., North, Kari E., Yengo, Loic, Smith, George Davey ... VA Million Veteran Program (2022). Genomics and phenomics of body mass index reveals a complex disease network. Nature Communications, 13 (1) 7973, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-35553-2
2022
Journal Article
Author Correction: Assortative mating biases marker-based heritability estimators (Nature Communications, (2022), 13, 1, (660), 10.1038/s41467-022-28294-9)
Border, Richard, O’Rourke, Sean, de Candia, Teresa, Goddard, Michael E., Visscher, Peter M., Yengo, Loic, Jones, Matt and Keller, Matthew C. (2022). Author Correction: Assortative mating biases marker-based heritability estimators (Nature Communications, (2022), 13, 1, (660), 10.1038/s41467-022-28294-9). Nature Communications, 13 (1) 1903, 1903. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-29652-3
2022
Journal Article
Phenotypic and genetic factors associated with donation of DNA and consent to record linkage for prescription history in the Australian Genetics of Depression Study
Gomez, Lina, Díaz-Torres, Santiago, Colodro-Conde, Lucía, Garcia-Marin, Luis M., Yap, Chloe X., Byrne, Enda M., Yengo, Loic, Lind, Penelope A., Wray, Naomi R., Medland, Sarah E., Hickie, Ian B., Lupton, Michelle K., Rentería, Miguel E., Martin, Nicholas G. and Campos, Adrian I. (2022). Phenotypic and genetic factors associated with donation of DNA and consent to record linkage for prescription history in the Australian Genetics of Depression Study. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 273 (6), 1359-1368. doi: 10.1007/s00406-022-01527-0
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Loic Yengo is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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Genetic and Molecular consequences of non-random mating in humans
Short Project description. This projects aims at utilising genetic and phenotypic data from ~500,000 participants of the UK Biobank to investigate phenotypic and genetic patterns induced by non-random mating in humans. Two forms of non-random mating will be investigated: assortative mating (resemblance between spouses) and inbreeding (mating between relatives). Findings from this project have implications in the analysis and interpretation of genome-wide association studies. The project will involve advanced modelling and statistical analyses of large volumes of data (genotyped and imputed SNP data, whole-exome sequencing, gene-expression, brain-imaging derived-traits).
Candidate. Candidates with a background in quantitative/population genetics, statistics, mathematics and other quantitative fields will be considered. Programming skills (R, python, C/C++) and prior experience in analysing genetic data (e.g. GWAS) is desirable. (Note: if required, lectures on fundamental concepts of quantitative and population genetics can be taken as part of the PhD training).
The Team. The successful candidate will be doing their research within the Program in Complex Traits Genomics (PCTG) Lab co-led by Professors Jian Yang, Naomi Wray and Peter Visscher, who are internationally recognized leaders in the field of complex traits genetics and have been recently listed among the world’s top one per cent most cited researchers of their field. PCTG provides a stimulating and highly interdisciplinary environment for PhD candidates to form and develop their research.
PhD advisor. Dr Loic Yengo is a senior research officer of the Institute of Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland, Australia; and the Statistical Genetics Team leader within PCTG. He did his PhD in applied mathematics and is an expert in statistical modelling and analysis of genetic data. His research interests intersect quantitative genetics, genetic epidemiology and sociogenomics.
Expected start. First semester of 2020.
Contact. If you’re interested, please send your CV and cover letter and two references to Dr Loic Yengo: l.yengo@imb.uq.edu.au
URLs
The team PCTG: http://cnsgenomics.com/
PhD advisor: https://scholar.google.fr/citations?user=iv8dxlIAAAAJ&hl=en
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the time and tissue dependent genetic architecture of complex traits
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicole Warrington
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Doctor Philosophy
Genomic signature of non-random mating in human complex traits
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Visscher
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Doctor Philosophy
Statistical methods and application to analyses genome and trait data from large biobanks
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kathryn Kemper, Professor Peter Visscher
Completed supervision
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Within and Across Populations Complex Traits and Diseases Prediction Using Summary Statistics from Large-scale Genome-wide Association Studies
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Visscher
Media
Enquiries
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