scholarly journals The Charles Perkins Centre's Twins Research Node

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas C. Ferreira ◽  
Jeffrey M. Craig ◽  
John L. Hopper ◽  
Susan E. Carrick
Keyword(s):  
Twin Studies ◽  
Research Facility ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Level Of Understanding

Twins can help researchers disentangle the roles of genes from those of the environment on human traits, health, and diseases. To realize this potential, the Australian Twin Registry (ATR), University of Melbourne, and the Charles Perkins Centre (CPC), University of Sydney, established a collaboration to form the Twins Research Node, a highly interconnected research facility dedicated specifically to research involving twins. This collaboration aims to foster the adoption of twin designs as important tools for research in a range of health-related domains. The CPC hosted their Twins Research Node's launch seminar entitled ‘Double the power of your research with twin studies’, in which experienced twin researchers described how twin studies are supporting scientific discoveries and careers. The launch also featured twin pairs who have actively participated in research through the ATR. Researchers at the CPC were surveyed before the event to gauge their level of understanding and interest in utilizing twin research. This article describes the new Twins Research Node, discusses the survey's main results and reports on the launch seminar.

scholarly journals Brazilian Twin Registry: A Bright Future for Twin Studies/Twin Research: Twin Study of Alcohol Consumption and Mortality; Oxygen Uptake in Adolescent Twins/In the News: Superfecundated Twins In Vietnam; Adolescent Twin Relations; Twin and Triplet Co-Workers; A Special Twin Ultrasound; Monozygotic Twins With Different Skin Color; Identical Twin Returns from Space

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Segal
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Oxygen Uptake ◽  
Skin Color ◽  
Monozygotic Twins ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Twin Registry

The establishment of the Brazilian Twin Registry for the study of genetic, social, and cultural influences on behavior is one of eleven newly funded projects in the Department of Psychology at the University of São Paulo. These 11 interrelated projects form the core of the university's Center for Applied Research on Well-Being and Human Behavior. An overview of the planned twin research and activities to date is presented. Next, two recent twin studies are reviewed, one on the relationship between alcohol consumption and mortality, and the other on factors affecting maximal oxygen uptake. Twins cited in the media include the first identified superfecundated twins in Vietnam, adolescent twin relations, twins and triplets who work together, monozygotic twins with different skin tones and a co-twin control study that addresses the effects of space travel.

The Norwegian Twin Registry

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 775-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas S. Nilsen ◽  
Ingunn Brandt ◽  
Per Magnus ◽  
Jennifer R. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Twin Data ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Broad Array ◽  
Health Related Research ◽  
Health Related

Norway has a long-standing tradition in twin research, but the data collected in several population-based twin studies were not coordinated centrally or easily accessible to the scientific community. In 2009, the Norwegian Twin Registry was established at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) in Oslo with the purpose of creating a single research resource for Norwegian twin data. As of today, the Norwegian Twin Registry contains 47,989 twins covering birth years 1895–1960 and 1967–1979; 31,440 of these twins consented to participate in health-related research. In addition, DNA from approximately 4,800 of the twins is banked at the NIPH biobank and new studies are continually adding new data to the registry. The value of the Norwegian twin data is greatly enhanced by the linkage opportunities offered by Norway's many nationwide registries, spanning a broad array of medical, demographic, and socioeconomic information.

scholarly journals The Qingdao Twin Registry: A Focus on Chronic Disease Research

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 758-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zengchang Pang ◽  
Feng Ning ◽  
Jennifer Unger ◽  
C. Anderson Johnson ◽  
Shaojie Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Special Events ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Adult Twins

AbstractWith the changing patterns of morbidity and mortality in China, noncommunicable chronic diseases have become the major threats to the health of the Chinese population. The causes of chronic diseases include genetic factors and behavioral risk factors such as the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and lack of physical activity. Twin studies offer a unique opportunity to disentangle the genetic and environmental risk and protective factors for chronic disease. The Qingdao Twin Registry (QTR) was initiated in 1998 as part of the National Chinese Twin Registry. Over 11,000 pairs of twins and multiples of all ages have been recruited into the registry. Several studies of physical and mental health are underway. Many of the adult twins have completed health and behavioral risk factor surveys, and the adolescent twins are participating in a study of gene–environment interactions in tobacco and alcohol use. Studies of the heritability of personality factors have been conducted. In 2002, Qingdao established the Qingdao Twin Health Promotion Association, a nonprofit organization that supports health services for twins and their parents, organizes special events and health-related activities for twins, and raises funds to conduct twin health examinations. The QTR will be a useful resource for future studies of population genetics in human health and disease.

An Update of Twin Research in Spain: The Murcia Twin Registry

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 667-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan R. Ordoñana ◽  
Eduvigis Carrillo ◽  
Lucía Colodro-Conde ◽  
Francisco J. García-Palomo ◽  
Francisca González-Javier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Based ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Population Based Registry

AbstractThe Murcia Twin Registry (MTR) is the only population-based registry in Spain. Created in 2006, the registry has been growing more than a decade to become one of the references for twin research in the Mediterranean region. The MTR database currently comprises 3545 adult participants born between 1940 and 1977. It also holds a recently launched satellite registry of university students (N = 204). Along five waves of data collection, the registry has gathered questionnaire and anthropometric data, as well as biological samples. The MTR keeps its main research focus on health and health-related behaviors from a public health perspective. This includes lifestyle, health promotion, quality of life or environmental conditions. Future short-term development points to the expansion of the biobank and the continuation of the collection of longitudinal data.

scholarly journals First Steps of the Mexico Twin Registry (RGMex-MexTR) at the University of Guadalajara

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 609-610
Author(s):  
Guillermo A. Cervantes-Cardona ◽  
Tania E. Cervantes-Nápoles ◽  
Gabino Cervantes-Guevara ◽  
Olga R. Manzo-Palomera ◽  
Alejandro González-Ojeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
The World ◽  
The University

AbstractDespite the well-known relevance of twin studies in the medical and social sciences and the growing number of twin registries throughout the world, Latin America has not fully incorporated into the twin research community. We describe the first steps taken toward developing a twin registry in Mexico: its aim, organization, recruiting potential and main short-term objectives.

scholarly journals The Norwegian Twin Registry

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas S. Nilsen ◽  
Ingunn Brandt ◽  
Nikolai Czajkowski ◽  
Peggy Knudsen ◽  
Per Magnus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Twin Data ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Health Lifestyle ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Access To Data

The Norwegian Twin Registry (NTR) is a large population based twin cohort for research purposes. At present,<br />the registry has 14 692 complete twin pairs with information on zygosity and to varying degree information on<br />somatic and mental health, lifestyle and demographics. The registry covers birth years 1895-1960 and 1967-<br />1991. NTR was established in 2009, at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, as a merger of three major<br />twin panels, the oldest originating in the 1960s. Since then Norwegian twin research has been a notable<br />contributor to twin research internationally. Norwegian twin researchers have published over 250 papers based<br />on Norwegian twin data, spanning a broad range of somatic and mental health phenotypes. In twin studies of<br />heritability a data structure with both variance within and between pairs is required. Therefore a large sample is<br />necessary, especially when studying rare diseases and conditions, and it is of vital importance to expand the<br />registry. NTR is actively recruiting new twins, both young and older, but declining response rates are a<br />challenge. The value of NTR is greatly enhanced through the linkage possibilities offered by Norway’s many<br />nationwide registries (medical, demographic, and socio-economic). Access to data is permitted by the NTR<br />steering group and will in most instances need permission from the Regional Ethics Committee.

HealthTwiSt: The Berlin Twin Registry for Health Research

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Busjahn
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Research Topics ◽  
Private Company ◽  
Intermediate Phenotypes ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Scientific Results

The Berlin Twin Registry has its focus on health research. It is operated as a private company, making twin studies available to academic institutions as well as commercial partners in the area of biotechnology and nutrition. Recruitment is based on invitation in the context of mass media coverage of scientific results. Phenotyping in the unselected twin subjects is directed toward intermediate phenotypes that can bear on common diseases. These phenotypes include proteomic approaches and gene expression. Some results are briefly described to give an impression of the range of research topics and related opportunities for retrospective and prospective collaborative research.

scholarly journals Symposium in Honor of Irving I. Gottesman (December 29, 1930–June 29, 2016)

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 281-284
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Segal
Keyword(s):  
International Society ◽  
Human Genetics ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Profound Influence ◽  
To Come ◽  
Personal Reflections ◽  
Academic Positions

The June 2016 death of our esteemed colleague, Dr Irving I. Gottesman, was felt as an extreme loss at so many levels by colleagues, students, friends, and family across the globe. Irv's stellar contributions to the field of twin research will continue to be remembered and cited for many years to come. In commemoration of his life and work, I organized a symposium at the 16th meeting of the International Society for Twin Studies, held in Madrid, Spain, November 16–18, 2017. The panelists included mostly former students, as well as colleagues, who presented their scientific research and personal remarks reflecting Irv's profound influence in shaping their lives and careers. A chronology of Irv's academic positions and honors is included in the introduction to this special issue of Twin Research and Human Genetics, followed by brief sketches of the panel participants; their scholarly papers and personal reflections follow.

scholarly journals Australian Twin Registry: 30 Years of Progress

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Hopper ◽  
Debra L. Foley ◽  
Paul A. White ◽  
Vincent Pollaers
Keyword(s):  
Twin Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Medical Council ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Pair Comparisons ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
The University ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Online Software

The Australian Twin Registry (ATR) is a national volunteer resource of twin pairs and higher-order multiples willing to consider participating in health, medical, and scientific research. The vision of the ATR is ‘to realize the full potential of research involving twins to improve the health and well-being of all Australians’. The ATR has been funded continuously by the National Health and Medical Council for more than 30 years. Its core functions entail the recruitment and retention of twin members, the maintenance of an up-to-date database containing members’ contact details and baseline information, and the promotion and provision of open access to researchers from all institutes in Australia, and their collaborators, in a fair and equitable manner. The ATR is administered by The University of Melbourne, which acts as custodian. Since the late 1970s the ATR has enrolled more than 40,000 twin pairs of all zygosities and facilitated more than 500 studies that have produced at least 700 peer-reviewed publications from classical twin studies, co-twin control studies, within-pair comparisons, twin family studies, longitudinal twin studies, randomized controlled trials, and epigenetics studies, as well as studies of issues specific to twins. New initiatives include: a Health and Life Style Questionnaire; data collection, management, and archiving using a secure online software program (The Ark); and the International Network of Twin Registries. The ATR's expertise and 30 years of experience in providing services to national and international twin studies has made it an important resource for research across a broad range of disciplines.

scholarly journals The Value of Twins for Health and Medical Research: A Third of a Century of Progress

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M. Craig ◽  
Lucas Calais-Ferreira ◽  
Mark P. Umstad ◽  
Dedra Buchwald
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Genetic Contributions

AbstractIn 1984, Hrubec and Robinette published what was arguably the first review of the role of twins in medical research. The authors acknowledged a growing distinction between two categories of twin studies: those aimed at assessing genetic contributions to disease and those aimed at assessing environmental contributions while controlling for genetic variation. They concluded with a brief section on recently founded twin registries that had begun to provide unprecedented access to twins for medical research. Here we offer an overview of the twin research that, in our estimation, best represents the field has progress since 1984. We start by summarizing what we know about twinning. We then focus on the value of twin study designs to differentiate between genetic and environmental influences on health and on emerging applications of twins in multiple areas of medical research. We finish by describing how twin registries and networks are accelerating twin research worldwide.

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