Identification and characterization of functional non-coding variants associated with human longevity

Centenarians, despite representing only a tiny proportion of the world's population, hold the key to access longevity. By decoding their genomes, majority of the genetic variations were found at non-coding regions which were once considered 'Junk DNA' but now known to play crucial roles. Many recent studies show that non-coding variants are significantly enriched in cis-regulatory elements (CRE), especially within enhancers specific to trait-relevant cell types. However, functional roles of non-coding variants are difficult to predict due to incomplete knowledge of non-coding regulatory elements, their mechanisms of action, and the cellular states and processes in which they function, let alone the identification of truly causal variants and their target genes. Dr. Yang's research aim to identify and characterize longevity-associated regulatory variants and their functions to provide better understanding of human longevity and facilitate drug target discovery for healthy aging.