Title: Human Genetic Insights into the Biology and Treatment of Aortic Aneurysms

Abstract: Aortic aneurysms, including both thoracic and abdominal forms, are increasingly understood as complex traits with substantial polygenic contributions. Recent studies leveraging large-scale biobank data have used genome-wide association analyses, fine-mapping, and Mendelian randomization to identify causal risk pathways, most notably involving lipid metabolism, that have important implications for disease treatment. The talk will further consider implications for risk prediction and screening, particularly in the context of integrating polygenic scores.

Biography: Dr. Scott Damrauer is surgeon-scientist dedicated to advancing the understanding of the biological pathways and mechanisms most relevant in the etiology, progression, and treatment of heart and vascular disease. He is the Vice Chair for Clinical Research for the Department of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, the William Maul Measey Associate Professor of Surgery and an Associate Professor of Genetics. His research leverages his clinical vascular surgery experience to inform population scale genomic research focusing on peripheral artery disease (PAD), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and thoracic aortic disease (TAD) that he uses to test the causal relationship of risk factors across traits, identify novel therapeutic targets, and develop new ways to use genetics to identify individuals at risk of adverse outcomes.