What

This project investigates whether DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism linking genetic and environmental factors, can reveal Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) risk years before symptoms appear. By identifying molecular signatures of early disease development, we aim to predict disease onset, stratify severity, and uncover targets for prevention.

Why

Every year, hundreds of young people are diagnosed with IBD, typically only after symptoms have become severe. With no cure available, management is reactive and often leads to ineffective treatments and major surgery. Earlier detection of high-risk individuals could enable preventive interventions, improve treatment strategies and reduce long-term complications.  

How

Using our Danish cohort containing patient samples collected years before diagnosis, we will identify pre-symptomatic methylation signatures and validate them in independent cohorts. We will combine epigenome-wide association studies, causal inference methods, and machine learning to distinguish genetic and environmental influences and develop predictive models of disease risk.  

Michelle Sollok

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