Aysu Okbay

werkenbij.amsterdamumc.orgVacatures - Postdoctoral researcher specialising in gene–environment interplay - Amsterdam UMCReady to unravel the complex interplay between genes and environment shaping health and society? Join our interdisciplinary team analyzing large-scale genomic data across Europe. Are you eager to contribute to groundbreaking research on health and social inequalities?

25 Mar

Come work with me and @dr-appie.bsky.social in Amsterdam!

Abdel Abdellaoui@dr-appie.bsky.social

Me & @aysuo.bsky.social are hiring a postdoc to study gene–environment interplay in health & social inequalities 🧬 You'll analyze genomic data as part of a collaboration with Uppsala & Oslo at @amsterdamumc.bsky.social (NL) werkenbij.amsterdamumc.org/en/vacatures... Please RT for karma points ♥️

Aysu Okbay reposted

essgn.podbean.comDo Parents Amplify Genetic Inequality? | Born and RaisedDo our genes become more important as we grow up? And do parents help their children overcome genetic disadvantages, or unintentionally make them worse? Economist Marina Aguiar-Palma joins us to explo...

From Brazil to social science genetics, and why a cat might be a good desert island companion.

ESSGN@essgn.bsky.social

This week on Born and Raised: Marina Aguilar Palma talks about whether parents amplify genetic inequality and lots of other things! essgn.podbean.com/e/do-parents...

Aysu Okbay reposted

essgn.podbean.comIs Everything Gene-Environment Interaction? Pietro Biroli | Born and RaisedGenes matter. Environments matter. But what if neither really makes sense without the other? What if everything is ultimately gene-environment interaction? Economist Pietro Biroli joins us to unpack h...

Me and @aysuo.bsky.social were invited to @pietrobiroli.bsky.social 's living room for dinner and some great conversation about GxE, why economists are assholes, and... Big Macs?

ESSGN@essgn.bsky.social

The inimitably charming @pietrobiroli.bsky.social came on Born and Raised and talked about genes and environments. And also, what eight dislocated shoulders and the Big Mac have in common. Don't miss! essgn.podbean.com/e/is-everyth...

Aysu Okbay reposted

essgn.podbean.comDoes Curiosity Beat Intelligence? Margherita Malanchini | Born and RaisedWhat makes someone good at learning? Intelligence certainly helps. But as we grow up, curiosity, motivation, confidence, and interest seem to matter more and more. So does curiosity eventually beat in...

16 Sept

Me and @aysuo.bsky.social met up with @marghmalanchini.bsky.social in Bologna because were curious about curiosity. Don't miss!

ESSGN@essgn.bsky.social

This week on Born and Raised, @marghmalanchini.bsky.social talks about, among other things, what non-cognitive skills actually contain!

workingat.vu.nlVacancy — PhD position in Social Science Genetics – VU Amsterdam & Amsterdam UMCApplications are invited for a PhD position in Social Science Genetics, a joint appointment at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam UMC. Eligible candidates may start their studentship between J...

2 Sept

Who's more popular, @michelnivard.bsky.social or @dr-appie.bsky.social ?

Rafael Ahlskog@rafaelahlskog.bsky.social

Me and @aysuo.bsky.social went to Amsterdam to talk to @michelnivard.bsky.social. Michels stated goal is to get more listens than @dr-appie.bsky.social - can he do it? Stay tuned!

Aysu Okbay reposted

Abdel Abdellaoui

@dr-appie.bsky.social

14 July

How do nature, nurture, and their interplay drive inequality? 🧬🧠💰 New PhD position in social science genetics at @amsterdamumc.bsky.social and @vuamsterdam.bsky.social. Your supervisors will be: Titus Galama, Aysu Okbay, and me. Apply by 21 July: workingat.vu.nl/vacancies/ph... Please share!

essgn.podbean.comHow Society Shapes the Genome - Abdel Abdellaoui returns | Born and RaisedCan society shape the human genome? What happens when people move to opportunity? Why do genes associated with educational attainment cluster geographically? And what happens to the gene pool when edu...

13 May

Another episode with @dr-appie.bsky.social because who else brings a laptop to a deserted island?

ESSGN@essgn.bsky.social

Big news! @dr-appie.bsky.social returns to Born and Raised this week, and besides talking about how social inequality and genetic structure affect each other, he also has a cool surprise for us! Can you guess what it is?

29 Apr

In this week's episode, we talk to @laurawesseldijk.bsky.social about genetics, musicality, metal, mental health. But more importantly, we finally uncover @dr-appie.bsky.social's secret music career and learn about Laura's childhood playing trombone on a horse while doing a headstand??

laurawesseldijk.bsky.social@laurawesseldijk.bsky.social

There was a lot of laughter during this conversation and a few secret confessions... But we also had some great discussions about musicality, genetics, Beethoven and public outreach, mental health, and music genres... Thank you @rafaelahlskog.bsky.social and @aysuo.bsky.social for having me! 🎶

essgn.podbean.comAre You Mostly Noise? Eivind Ystrøm on the Genetics of Personality | Born and RaisedPersonality psychologists were doing behavior genetics way before it was cool. In this episode, Rafael and Aysu sit down with Eivind Ystrøm, personality psychologist at the University of Oslo, to talk...

17 Apr

@rafaelahlskog.bsky.social and I talked to @eivindy.bsky.social in Oslo about old and new results in personality genetics. Also learnt @eivindy.bsky.social was born but maybe not raised to be an activist :)

ESSGN@essgn.bsky.social

Are you mostly noise? This week Born and Raised went to talk to @eivindy.bsky.social about the genetics of personality, the "gloomy prospect", and about Eivind's possible weird mutation!

20 Mar

Of assortative mating, bow ties and more. Give it a listen!

Rafael Ahlskog@rafaelahlskog.bsky.social

Me and @aysuo.bsky.social went to Oslo a couple of weeks ago. This conversation with @hfsunde.bsky.social was really, really exciting!

3 Mar

The abstract submission deadline has been extended until the end of this week (March 8)!

Aysu Okbay@aysuo.bsky.social

The ESSGN conference is in beautiful Bologna again this year. Abstract submission is open!

Aysu Okbay reposted

essgn.podbean.com3. Laurel Raffington on all things epigenetics | Born and RaisedCurious about epigenetics? Dive right in! In this episode, Laurel Raffington gets a visit from the Born and Raised crew in her beautiful office at the Max Planck institute in Berlin. We learn about al...

20 Feb

Me and @aysuo.bsky.social went to Berlin to talk to @laraffington.bsky.social about all things epigenetics. Some really cool stuff here!

ESSGN@essgn.bsky.social

In this week's episode of Born and Raised, we met Laurel Raffington at MPIB to talk all things epigenetics, the history and ethics of doing sociogenomic research in Germany, and the importance of lifting weights. Don't miss!

6 Feb

Apologies to everyone who asked me who's next and heard a different name 😅 I clearly have no idea what I'm doing and this is all happening thanks to Rafael

Rafael Ahlskog@rafaelahlskog.bsky.social

Me and @aysuo.bsky.social talk to @sjoerdalten.bsky.social about economics and genetics. And we get some book recommendations. Neat!

Aysu Okbay reposted

essgn.podbean.com2. Sjoerd van Alten on economics and genetic methods | Born and RaisedIn this episode, our hosts visit economist Sjoerd van Alten in his office at the Vrije Universiteit. Why would an economist be interested in genetics? How does one use molecular genetic data to study ...

6 Feb

Me and @aysuo.bsky.social talk to @sjoerdalten.bsky.social about economics and genetics. And we get some book recommendations. Neat!

ESSGN@essgn.bsky.social

New episode of Born and Raised out now, with @sjoerdalten.bsky.social, covering where economics and modern genetic methods meet. Don't miss!

2 Feb

The ESSGN conference is in beautiful Bologna again this year. Abstract submission is open!

Pietro Biroli@pietrobiroli.bsky.social

📢🧬 Call for Papers — 5th ESSGN Conference 📍 Bologna, May 21–22, 2026 I’ll be co-organising the 5th ESSGN conference in Bologna together with Nicola Barban, Stephanie von Hinke, Paul Hufe, and Niels Rietveld @essgn.bsky.social 📄 Submit here: forms.gle/fmVDUrQqQYju... 🗓 Deadline: 1 March 2026

Aysu Okbay reposted

essgn.podbean.com1. Abdel Abdellaoui on social science genetics | Born and RaisedIn this very first episode of Born and Raised, hosts Rafael and Aysu visit behavior geneticist Abdel Abdellaoui in his office at the Amsterdam University Medical Center. They talk about the nature of ...

23 Jan

Me and @aysuo.bsky.social did a thing. Give it a listen!

ESSGN@essgn.bsky.social

Exciting news! Today marks the start of the podcast Born and Raised - produced by the ESSGN. In this very first episode, our hosts have visited @dr-appie.bsky.social in his office at the AUMC. Shocking revelations ensue! Find it on essgn.podbean.com or on the podcast platform of your choice.

Aysu Okbay reposted

Robel Alemu

@robel-alemu.bsky.social

18 Sept 2025

Excited to share our preprint on PGI portability across ancestries—now on bioRxiv. With co-authors @aysuo.bsky.social, @paturley.bsky.social, @alextisyoung.bsky.social, and @Dan_J_Benjamin. Preprint: doi.org/10.1101/2025... Thread below for details.

doi.orgDissecting the Predictive Accuracy of Polygenic Indexes for Behavioral Phenotypes Across Genetic AncestriesPolygenic indexes (PGIs) trained on samples of European genetic ancestries often lose substantial predictive power when applied to non-European ancestries. While this portability problem is well recog...

bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social

Dissecting the Predictive Accuracy of Polygenic Indexes for Behavioral Phenotypes Across Genetic Ancestries https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.11.675704v1

PGI Repository v2.0 preprint out! A 🧵 on the main results and updates @robel-alemu.bsky.social @paturley.bsky.social @alextisyoung.bsky.social

bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social

An Updated Polygenic Index Repository: Expanded Phenotypes, New Cohorts, and Improved Causal Inference https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.14.653986v1

We have updated the repository’s User Guide to highlight interpretational issues we view as especially important: www.biorxiv.org/content/bior... We also provide updated FAQs that provide information on the Repository and PGIs: www.biorxiv.org/content/bior... (8/9)

biorxiv.orgbiorxiv.org

In the next few weeks, we will start sharing the PGIs with the participating datasets, who will make them available as read-to-use variables through their own data-sharing procedures. Stay tuned! (9/9)

PGI Repository v2.0 preprint out! A 🧵 on the main results and updates @robel-alemu.bsky.social @paturley.bsky.social @alextisyoung.bsky.social

bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social

An Updated Polygenic Index Repository: Expanded Phenotypes, New Cohorts, and Improved Causal Inference https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.14.653986v1

We provide an analytic correction for these two sources of attenuation that enhances interpretability and cross-study comparability. (6/9)

It is essential to recall that “causal” does not mean “immutable.” Genetic influences often operate through modifiable environmental pathways. To avoid overly deterministic interpretations, PGI associations should be analyzed and presented with appropriate nuance. (7/9)

PGI Repository v2.0 preprint out! A 🧵 on the main results and updates @robel-alemu.bsky.social @paturley.bsky.social @alextisyoung.bsky.social

bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social

An Updated Polygenic Index Repository: Expanded Phenotypes, New Cohorts, and Improved Causal Inference https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.14.653986v1

In 11 datasets that include first-degree relatives, and we infer missing parental PGIs using Mendelian imputation. We include these imputed parental PGIs in the new data release, increasing the number of datasets where parental PGIs can be controlled for in analyses to identify causal effects (4/9)

We also develop a theoretical framework clarifying how to interpret coefficients from regressions that control for parental PGIs. We identify two distinct sources of attenuation: sampling error in the SNP weights, and bias due to divergence between the between- and within-family GWAS estimands.(5/9)

PGI Repository v2.0 preprint out! A 🧵 on the main results and updates @robel-alemu.bsky.social @paturley.bsky.social @alextisyoung.bsky.social

bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social

An Updated Polygenic Index Repository: Expanded Phenotypes, New Cohorts, and Improved Causal Inference https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.14.653986v1

For 16 phenotypes from the first release, we integrate new GWAS data into the meta-analyses. For 45 out of 61 phenotypes, the meta-analyses include 23andMe GWAS, improving predictive power compared to what can be obtained with publicly available summary statistics. (2/9)

We now obtain the SNP weights using SBayesR (as opposed to LDpred) using a larger set of SNPs (~2.9 mil as opposed to ~1.2mil HapMap3 SNPs) resulting in gains in predictive power for most phenotypes. (3/9)

PGI Repository v2.0 preprint out! A 🧵 on the main results and updates @robel-alemu.bsky.social @paturley.bsky.social @alextisyoung.bsky.social

bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social

An Updated Polygenic Index Repository: Expanded Phenotypes, New Cohorts, and Improved Causal Inference https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.14.653986v1

The repository now includes PGIs for 61 phenotypes (up from 47), spanning additional health, behavioral, and demographic traits. Participating datasets are up from 11 to 20. (1/9)

12 May 2025

Preprint just out about the genetically heterogenous effects of an early childhood intervention in Colombia. Key findings below. Come see my talk at #ESSGN Bristol if you wanna hear more!

Gabriella Conti@gabriconti.bsky.social

📣 I’m delighted to share a new working paper that’s been years in the making: 🧬 “ #Gene × #Environment Interactions: Polygenic Scores and the Impact of an Early Childhood Intervention in Colombia” 👉🏻 Available here as @hceconomics.bsky.social WP: humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wp...