What is DEEP?

The Diverse Epigenetic Epidemiology Partnership (DEEP) is a partnership of 20 research groups from around the world that aims to improve global health by exploring the effects of genomic and environmental diversity on disease risk across the global population.

DEEP study researchers are interested in studying the differences in disease mechanism and disease risk prediction that are associated with DNA methylation. DNA methylation refers to modifications to DNA which help in turning genes on or off (transcription).The DEEP study ultimately aims to identify disease mechanisms and drug targets that work for all.

Project design

The project will take several approaches to gain insights into possible factors causing health disparity and to improve global health

• By comparing DNA methylation patterns of groups of people with different genetic and environmental context we can identify genetic and environmental factors that influence DNA methylation variation.

• By identifying and comparing DNA methylation signatures linked to health outcomes across different groups of participants we can identify which molecular mechanisms causing diseases are shared and which are unique to particular groups or regions.

This 5-year project is funded by the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom.