The overall aims of IGEMS are to understand why early life adversity, and social factors such as isolation and loneliness, are associated with diverse outcomes including mortality, physical functioning (health, functional ability), and psychological functioning (well-being, cognition), particularly in later life.
Ongoing research specifically addresses the association between socio-economic status and health, as well as risk and protective factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Participating Danish Studies
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Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins (LSADT)
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Study of Middle-Aged Danish Twins (MADT)
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Middle-aged Danish Twins (MIDT)
Funding
Funding is from National Institutes of Health Grant No. R01 AG037985, R56 AG037985, RF1 AG058068, R01 AG059329 and R01 AG060470.
Contact
- Professor Kaare Christensen
- Associate professor Marianne Nygaard
Selected publications
IGEMS: The Consortium on Interplay of Genes and Environment Across Multiple Studies - An Update
Pedersen NL, Gatz M, Finch BK, Finkel D, Butler DA, Dahl Aslan A, Franz CE, Kaprio J, Lapham S, McGue M, Mosing MA, Neiderhiser J, Nygaard M, Panizzon M, Prescott CA, Reynolds CA, Sachdev P, Whitfield KE.
Twin Res Hum Genet. 2019 Dec;22(6):809-816. Open access
Age-moderation of genetic and environmental contributions to cognitive functioning in mid- and late-life for specific cognitive abilities
Pahlen S, Hamdi HR, Dahl Aslan AK, Horwitz BN, Panizzon I, Zavala C, Christensen K, Finkel D, Franz CE, Gatz M, Johnson W, Kremen WS, Krueger RF, Neiderhiser JM, Reynolds CA, Pedersen NL & McGue M.
Intelligence, 2018:68, 70-81.
Gene–environment interplay in depressive symptoms: moderation by age, sex, and physical illness
Petkus AJ, Beam CR, Johnson W, Kaprio J, Korhonen T, McGue M, Neiderhiser JM, Pedersen NL, Reynolds CA, Gatz M & the IGEMS Consortium.
Psychological Medicine, 2017: 47(10), 1836-1847. Open access
Facets of subjective health from early adulthood to old age
Franz CE, Finkel D, Panizzon MS, Spoon K, Christensen K, Gatz M, Kremen WS, Kruger RF, Neiderhiser JM, Reynolds CA, Pedersen NL & the IGEMS consortium.
Journal of Aging and Health, 2016: 29, 149-171. Open access
Gene-environment interplay in physical, psychological, and cognitive domains in mid to late adulthood: Is APOE a variability gene?
Reynolds CA, Gatz M, Christensen K, Christiansen L, Dalh Aslan AK, Kaprio J, Korhonen T, Kremen WS, Kruegar R, McGue M, Neiderhiser JM & Pedersen NL.
Behavior Genetics, 2016: 46(1),4-19. Open access
GxE interaction influences trajectories of hand grip strength
Petersen I, Pedersen NL, Rantanen T, Kremen WS, Johnson W, Panizzon, Christiansen L, Franz CE, McGue M, Christensen K, Hamdi NR, Krueger RF & Reynolds CA.
Behavior Genetics,2016: 46(1)20-30. Open access
Gender differences in marital status moderation of genetic and environmental influences on subjective health
Finkel D, Franz CE, Horwitz B, Christensen K, Gatz M, Johnson W, Kaprio J, Korhonen T, Neiderhiser J, Petersen I, Rose RJ, Silventoinen K & IGEMS Consortium.
Behavior Genetics, 2016: 46(1), 114-123.