We use human genetics and bioinformatics to identify therapeutic targets, predict cardiovascular risk, and bring both into clinical care.
University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia VA Medical Center
Research
Drug target identification and validation. Which genes cause cardiovascular disease, and which of them are promising drug targets? We run large-scale genetic discovery across common and rare variants, then use fine-mapping, colocalization, and Mendelian randomization to nominate candidate genes and test whether they play a causal role in disease.
Cardiovascular risk prediction. How well can genetics predict a person’s cardiovascular risk, and when is that prediction reliable enough to guide care? We build, benchmark, and clinically evaluate polygenic risk scores in deeply phenotyped biobank and clinical cohorts.
Clinical translation. Do treatments act in patients the way human genetics predicts? We run genetically informed clinical trials and mechanistic clinical studies to test what genetic findings imply about human biology, such as a mechanistic trial of colchicine in peripheral artery disease.
Deep phenotyping. What do diagnosis codes miss about cardiovascular disease, and what do risk variants do among carriers? We measure disease endophenotypes, such as the extent of coronary atherosclerosis and changes in cardiac structure and function, from clinical notes and imaging across whole biobanks and health systems. We also run recall-by-genotype studies, which invite participants back for detailed measurement based on the variants they carry.
Our work draws on the Million Veteran Program, Penn Medicine BioBank, UK Biobank, and All of Us, with a focus on atherosclerosis, lipoproteins including lipoprotein(a), and heart failure and cardiomyopathy.
People
Michael G. Levin, MD, MSTR
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor of Medicine and Genetics, University of Pennsylvania
Staff Cardiologist, Philadelphia VA Medical Center
Publications
The lab has published 147 papers and preprints, including work in JAMA, Nature Genetics, and Circulation. Recent work:
Contact
We welcome research collaborations, industry partnerships, and prospective trainees. Email Michael.Levin@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.