The Future of Kidney Health: How Dr. Charles Breeze Is Changing the Game with Epigenetics

In this week’s episode of the Everything Epigenetics podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Charles Breeze, an expert in computational epigenetics. We talk about his inspiring journey into the field of epigenetics, his trailblazing research on kidney function across diverse ethnic groups, and the innovative tools he's developed to push the boundaries of epigenetic research.
Dr. Breeze shares how his fascination with the complex interaction between environmental and genetic factors shaped his path into epigenetics. This passion led him to focus on understanding why certain populations are at higher risk for diseases like chronic kidney disease. His work has uncovered insights into the disparities in kidney disease risk among different ethnic groups, shedding light on genetic and environmental factors that had previously been overlooked.

To address the challenges of inclusivity and precision in epigenetic studies, Dr. Breeze developed specialized tools that enhance the accuracy of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS). These tools aim to improve how we analyze the impact of genetics and environment on health, helping researchers study epigenetic patterns across populations more effectively. His contributions are making it easier to identify how factors like diet, stress, and pollution affect gene expression, paving the way for more inclusive and equitable health research.

Dr. Breeze earned his Ph.D. in computational epigenetics and genomics from University College London, where he was a Marie Curie fellow. He has also worked at top institutions like the University of Oxford, the European Bioinformatics Institute, and the Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences in Seattle. There, he led the analysis and creation of important mouse genome data. Dr. Breeze has developed bioinformatics tools like eFORGE and FORGE2, which help analyze data from studies on how genes and the environment affect health (EWAS and GWAS). Dr. Breeze is a member of the encyclopedia of DNA elements (ENCODE) and International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC).

You’ll learn about:
- Dr. Breeze’s early interest in genomics, sparked by reading "Genome" by Matthew Ridley
- His significant findings from the 2021 study titled “Epigenome-wide association study of kidney function identifies trans-ethnic and ethnic-specific loci,” which revealed ethnic disparities in kidney function
- The challenges faced in epigenetic research due to the lack of diversity in reference data and how this impacts research outcomes
- Proposed solutions to increase diversity in epigenomic data, including community involvement and targeted data generation
- How his bioinformatics tools, eFORGE and FORGE2, assist researchers in understanding the complex data from EWAS and GWAS studies
- His future research directions, including studies on kidney cancer and the expansion of pathway analysis tools

Chapters:
00:10 Introduction
02:23 Dr. Breeze’s Journey into Epigenetics
07:13 Insights from the 2021 Kidney Function Study
11:28 Challenges in Epigenetics Due to Lack of Diversity
15:54 Solutions for Increasing Diversity in Epigenomic Research
26:02 Introduction to eFORGE and FORGE2 Tools
40:20 Future Research Directions
44:10 Closing Remarks

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