
Overview
Background
David Evans is an NHMRC Leadership Fellow and Professor of Statistical Genetics at the University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience. He is a winner of the NHMRC Marshall and Warren Award.
He completed his PhD in Statistical Genetics at the University of Queensland in 2003, before undertaking a four-year post-doctoral fellowship at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford where he worked as part of the The International HapMap Consortium and co-led the analysis of four diseases within the first Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium. In 2007 he moved to take up a Senior Lecturer position at the University of Bristol where he led much of the genome-wide association studies work in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). In 2013 he returned to take up a chair at the University of Queensland whilst continuing to lead an MRC Programme in statistical genetics at the University of Bristol.
His research interests include the genetic mapping of complex traits and diseases (including birthweight and other perinatal traits, osteoporosis, ankylosing spondylitis, sepsis, laterality) and the development of statistical methodologies in genetic epidemiology including approaches for gene mapping, individual risk prediction, causal modelling and dissecting the genetic architecture of complex traits. He has a particular interest in Mendelian randomization and has used it and other causal methods to investigate the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)- the idea that adverse intrauterine exposures lead to increased risk of disease in later life.
He is Academic Codirector at the NIH funded International Workshop on Statistical Genetics Methods and is faculty on the European Programme in Educational Epidemiology.
He is Associate Editor at the International Journal of Epidemiology and Behavior Genetics journals.
Availability
- Professor David Evans is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours), The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Mendelian randomization
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Genome-wide association studies
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Causal Modeling
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Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
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Laterality
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Sepsis
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Osteoporosis
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Ankylosing Spondylitis
Works
Search Professor David Evans’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
The genetics of low and high birthweight and their relationship with cardiometabolic disease
Moen, Gunn-Helen, Hwang, Liang-Dar, Brito Nunes, Caroline, Warrington, Nicole M. and Evans, David M. (2025). The genetics of low and high birthweight and their relationship with cardiometabolic disease. Diabetologia, 68 (7), 1452-1462. doi: 10.1007/s00125-025-06420-8
2025
Journal Article
Woolf et al’s “GWAS by subtraction” is not useful for cross-generational Mendelian randomization studies
Evans, David M, Smith, George Davey and Moen, Gunn-Helen (2025). Woolf et al’s “GWAS by subtraction” is not useful for cross-generational Mendelian randomization studies. BMC Research Notes, 18 (1) 247. doi: 10.1186/s13104-025-07326-9
2025
Journal Article
A gene expression-based approach for the precision use of hydrocortisone in septic shock patients; a secondary analysis of the ADRENAL trial
Venkatesh, Balasubramanian, Rey, Diego Ariel, Evans, David M., Yao, Lijing, Finfer, Simon, Bellomo, Rinaldo, Silva, Tiago Chedraoui, Cohen, Jeremy, Qiu, Yu, Lucena, Wellington dos Reis, Hammond, Naomi, Myburgh, John, Li, Qiang, Damiani, Lucas Petri, Devaux, Anthony and Deliberato, Rodrigo Octavio (2025). A gene expression-based approach for the precision use of hydrocortisone in septic shock patients; a secondary analysis of the ADRENAL trial. Critical Care and Resuscitation, 27 (2) 100109, 100109-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ccrj.2025.100109
2025
Journal Article
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antidepressant prescribing with a focus on people with learning disability and autism: an interrupted time series analysis in England using OpenSAFELY-TPP
Cunningham, Christine, Macdonald, Orla, Schaffer, Andrea, Brown, Andrew, Wiedemann, Milan, Higgins, Rose, Bates, Chris, Parry, John, Fisher, Louis, Curtis, Helen, Mehrkar, Amir, Hart, Liam C., Hulme, William, Speed, Victoria, Ward, Tom, Croker, Richard, Wood, Christopher, Walker, Alex, Andrews, Colm, Butler-Cole, Ben, Evans, David, Inglesby, Peter, Dillingham, Iain, Davy, Simon, Bridges, Lucy, O'Dwyer, Thomas, Maude, Steve, Smith, Rebecca, Green, Amelia ... Bacon, Sebastian (2025). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antidepressant prescribing with a focus on people with learning disability and autism: an interrupted time series analysis in England using OpenSAFELY-TPP. BMJ mental health, 28 (1), e301378-1. doi: 10.1136/bmjment-2024-301378
2025
Journal Article
Longitudinal Changes in Learnings from PANORAMA
Wykoff, Charles c., Do, Diana V., Clark, W. loyd, Boyer, David s., Dhoot, Dilsher s., Marcus, Dennis m., Vitti, Robert, Berliner, Alyson j., Reed, Kimberly, Cheng, Yenchieh, Moini, Hadi and Brown, David m. (2025). Longitudinal Changes in Learnings from PANORAMA. Ophthalmology Retina, 9 (1), 91-94. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2024.10.007
2025
Journal Article
No evidence of interaction between FADS2 genotype and breastfeeding on cognitive or other traits in the UK Biobank
Centorame, Giulio, Warrington, Nicole M., Hemani, Gibran, Wang, Geng, Davey Smith, George and Evans, David M. (2025). No evidence of interaction between FADS2 genotype and breastfeeding on cognitive or other traits in the UK Biobank. Behavior Genetics, 55 (2) l1855, 86-102. doi: 10.1007/s10519-024-10210-0
2025
Other Outputs
Ancestry-specific maternal GWAS summary statistics from "Multi-ancestry, trans-generational GWAS meta-analysis of gestational diabetes and glycaemic traits during pregnancy reveals limited evidence of pregnancy-specific genetic effects"
Moen, Gunn-Helen, Brito Nunes, Caroline and Evans, David (2025). Ancestry-specific maternal GWAS summary statistics from "Multi-ancestry, trans-generational GWAS meta-analysis of gestational diabetes and glycaemic traits during pregnancy reveals limited evidence of pregnancy-specific genetic effects". The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/2e6c470
2025
Journal Article
Investigating the Relationship Between Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy and Offspring Handedness: Extending the Proxy Gene-by-Environment Mendelian Randomization Study Design to Include Polygenic Risk Scores
Crick, Daisy C. P., Medland, Sarah E., Smith, George Davey and Evans, David M. (2025). Investigating the Relationship Between Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy and Offspring Handedness: Extending the Proxy Gene-by-Environment Mendelian Randomization Study Design to Include Polygenic Risk Scores. Behavior Genetics, 55 (4), 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s10519-025-10226-0
2025
Other Outputs
DINGO summary statistics from "Multi-ancestry, trans-generational GWAS meta-analysis of gestational diabetes and glycaemic traits during pregnancy reveals limited evidence of pregnancy-specific genetic effects"
Moen, Gunn-Helen, Brito Nunes, Caroline and Evans, David (2025). DINGO summary statistics from "Multi-ancestry, trans-generational GWAS meta-analysis of gestational diabetes and glycaemic traits during pregnancy reveals limited evidence of pregnancy-specific genetic effects". The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/ed470a2
2025
Journal Article
Proteome-Wide Mendelian Randomisation Study of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes
Daubney, Emily R., Flatley, Christopher, Hwang, Liang-Dar and Evans, David M. (2025). Proteome-Wide Mendelian Randomisation Study of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes. Behavior Genetics. doi: 10.1007/s10519-025-10233-1
2025
Other Outputs
Multi-ancestry maternal GWAS summary statistics from "Multi-ancestry, trans-generational GWAS meta-analysis of gestational diabetes and glycaemic traits during pregnancy reveals limited evidence of pregnancy-specific genetic effects"
Moen, Gunn-Helen, Brito Nunes, Caroline and Evans, David (2025). Multi-ancestry maternal GWAS summary statistics from "Multi-ancestry, trans-generational GWAS meta-analysis of gestational diabetes and glycaemic traits during pregnancy reveals limited evidence of pregnancy-specific genetic effects". The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/0aa6ba4
2024
Journal Article
Distinguishing <i>ABCA4</i> from <i>PRPH2</i>-related disease: qualitative analysis of examination and imaging features
Fan, Kenneth C., Wong, Calvin W., Nichols, Braden A., Sadat, Roa, Becker, Troy C., Brown, David M. and Wykoff, Charles C. (2024). Distinguishing ABCA4 from PRPH2-related disease: qualitative analysis of examination and imaging features. Ophthalmic Genetics, 46 (4), 347-353. doi: 10.1080/13816810.2024.2432064
2024
Journal Article
The genetic architecture of hip shape and its role in the development of hip osteoarthritis and fracture
Faber, Benjamin G., Frysz, Monika, Zheng, Jaiyi, Lin, Huandong, Flynn, Kaitlyn A., Ebsim, Raja, Saunders, Fiona R., Beynon, Rhona, Gregory, Jennifer S., Aspden, Richard M., Harvey, Nicholas C., Lindner, Claudia, Cootes, Timothy, Evans, David M., Smith, George Davey, Gao, Xin, Wang, Sijia, Kemp, John P. and Tobias, Jonathan H. (2024). The genetic architecture of hip shape and its role in the development of hip osteoarthritis and fracture. Human Molecular Genetics, 34 (3), 207-217. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddae169
2024
Journal Article
Micronutrients and major depression: a Mendelian randomisation study
Carnegie, Rebecca E., Zheng, Jie, Borges, Maria C., Jones, Hannah J., Wade, Kaitlin H., Sallis, Hannah M., Lewis, Sarah J., Evans, David M., Revez, Joana A., Evans, Jonathan and Martin, Richard M. (2024). Micronutrients and major depression: a Mendelian randomisation study. Nutrients, 16 (21) 3690, 1-24. doi: 10.3390/nu16213690
2024
Conference Publication
The International Statistical Genetics Workshop
Nivard, Michel G., Abdellaoui, Abdel, Evans, David M., Keller, Matthew C., Lessem, Jeff, Maes, Hermine H., Medland, Sarah E. and Neale, Benjamin M. (2024). The International Statistical Genetics Workshop. 54th Annual Meeting of the Behavior-Genetics-Association (BGA), London England, Jun 26-29, 2024. NEW YORK: SPRINGER.
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
Journal Article
Mendelian randomization analysis of maternal coffee consumption during pregnancy on offspring neurodevelopmental difficulties in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)
D'Urso, Shannon, Wootton, Robyn E., Ask, Helga, Brito Nunes, Caroline, Andreassen, Ole A., Hwang, Liang-Dar, Moen, Gunn-Helen, Evans, David M. and Havdahl, Alexandra (2024). Mendelian randomization analysis of maternal coffee consumption during pregnancy on offspring neurodevelopmental difficulties in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Psychological Medicine, 54 (12), 1-14. doi: 10.1017/S0033291724002216
2024
Journal Article
Genetic architecture reconciles linkage and association studies of complex traits
Sidorenko, Julia, Couvy-Duchesne, Baptiste, Kemper, Kathryn E., Moen, Gunn-Helen, Bhatta, Laxmi, Åsvold, Bjørn Olav, Mägi, Reedik, Estonian Biobank Research Team, Ani, Alireza, Wang, Rujia, Nolte, Ilja M., Lifelines Cohort Study, Nolte, Ilja M., Gordon, Scott, Hayward, Caroline, Campbell, Archie, Benjamin, Daniel J., Cesarini, David, Evans, David M., Goddard, Michael E., Haley, Chris S., Porteous, David, Medland, Sarah E., Martin, Nicholas G., Snieder, Harold, Metspalu, Andres, Hveem, Kristian, Brumpton, Ben, Visscher, Peter M. and Yengo, Loic (2024). Genetic architecture reconciles linkage and association studies of complex traits. Nature Genetics, 56 (11), 2352-2360. doi: 10.1038/s41588-024-01940-2
2024
Conference Publication
Common Pitfalls In Mendelian Randomization Studies And How To Avoid Them
Moen, Gunn-Helen and Evans, David M. (2024). Common Pitfalls In Mendelian Randomization Studies And How To Avoid Them. World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics WCPG 2024, Singapore, 15-19 October 2024. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.08.030
2024
Journal Article
Understanding the genetic landscape of gestational diabetes: insights into the causes and consequences of elevated glucose levels in pregnancy
Brito Nunes, Caroline, Borges, Maria Carolina, Freathy, Rachel M., Lawlor, Deborah A., Qvigstad, Elisabeth, Evans, David M. and Moen, Gunn-Helen (2024). Understanding the genetic landscape of gestational diabetes: insights into the causes and consequences of elevated glucose levels in pregnancy. Metabolites, 14 (9) 508, 508. doi: 10.3390/metabo14090508
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor David Evans is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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Sometimes Correlation does Equal Causation: Developing Statistical Methods to Determine Causality Using Genetic Data
There is a well-known mantra that correlation does not necessarily equal causation. This is why randomized controlled trials in which participants are physically randomized into treatment and placebo groups are the gold standard for assessing causality in epidemiological investigations. However, what is less appreciated is that strong evidence for causality can sometimes be obtained using observational data only. In particular, genotypes are randomly transmitted from parents to their offspring independent of the environment and other confounding factors, meaning that genotypes associated with particular traits can be used like natural “randomized controlled trials” to examine whether these traits causally affect risk of disease.
The aim of this PhD project is to develop statistical methods to assess causality using observational data alone. The successful candidate will gain experience across a wide range of advanced statistical genetics methodologies including Mendelian randomization (a way of using genetic variants to investigate putatively causal relationships), structural equation modelling, genome-wide association analysis (GWAS), genetic restricted maximum likelihood (G-REML) analysis of genome-wide data which can be used to partition variation in phenotypes into genetic and environmental sources of variation, and instrumental variables analysis (using natural “experiments” to obtain information on causality from observational data). The candidate will apply the new statistical methods that they develop to large genetically informative datasets like the UK Biobank (500,000 individuals with genome-wide SNP data).
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Developing and Applying Statistical Genetics Methods to Elucidate the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicole Warrington
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the genetic epidemiology of women's reproductive health
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gunn-Helen Moen
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Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the relationship between adverse perinatal environments and the development of childhood depression and anxiety using statistical genetics methods
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Hwang
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Doctor Philosophy
Improved understanding of complex traits through intermediate phenotypes and robust methodologies
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Hwang
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Doctor Philosophy
Using genetics to predict drug efficacy and on-target side effects of pharmacological agents
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Glenn King, Associate Professor Sonia Shah
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Doctor Philosophy
Using multi-omics approaches to characterise determinants of early growth trajectories and their consequences on later life health
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Jake Gratten, Dr Nicole Warrington
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Using genetics to investigate the interplay of maternal and fetal factors in pregnancy outcomes
Principal Advisor
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Harnessing Genetically Informative Within-Family Research Designs for Deeper Insights into the Intrauterine Developmental Period and Downstream Effects on Offspring Neurodevelopmental Outcomes
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Hwang, Dr Gunn-Helen Moen
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Using Genetics to Understand the Relationship Between the Intrauterine Environment and Future Offspring Cardiometabolic Risk
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicole Warrington
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Detecting and Quantifying the Effect of Assortative mating and Maternal Effects on Statistical Genetics Analyses
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicole Warrington
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Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor David Evans directly for media enquiries about:
- Genetics
- Genome-wide association
- Mendelian randomization
- Twin Studies
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