Everything Epigenetics Podcast: A Conversation with Dr. Lauren Schmitz
Integrating Epigenetics into the Social Models of Health Disparities
Hosted by Hannah Went // Everything Epigenetics Podcast
In this Everything Epigenetics podcast, Dr. Lauren Schmitz takes a deep dive into several of her studies that focus on using genetic and epigenetic measures alongside data on the social environment from population-based longitudinal studies and randomized control trials.
Lauren and I also discuss the methodology she uses for uncovering causal effects from observational data, with the ultimate goal of identifying policy targets that enhance quality of life and extend healthspan.
We also chat about her study results that support DNA methylation-based epigenetic aging as a signature of educational inequalities in life expectancy emphasizing the need for policies to address the unequal social distribution of these World Health Organization (WHO) risk factors, as well as, social disadvantages which may contribute additively to faster biological aging.
I’m extremely excited and passionate about Lauren’s work myself, as it suggests that epigenetic aging measures may contain additional valuable information that could further our understanding of the causes of social disparities in aging and health span.