Abdel Abdellaoui

One for the office and one for home

Introduction to genetic data analysis in the social, behavioural, and health sciences This 4-day course will provide social scientists with the knowledge and skills needed to analyse genetic data, critically interpret results, and integrate genetics into their research.

Behavioral, social and health scientists: if you’d like to combine social and genetic data, this is for you: shorturl.at/8gUcu. This course in London features all aspects from data collection to model estimation in our local cohort data - and the incredible @timtmorris.bsky.social as instructor.

Notes from Beethoven’s genome Wesseldijk et al. compare the genomic information collected from Ludwig van Beethoven with population-based datasets used to quantify musical achievement.

With sequencing of Hitler's DNA making headlines, time for a reminder: analysing a polygenic score from a dead historically-significant figure won't give new insights into that person's behaviour. In a brief paper last year, we used Beethoven's genome to directly illustrate the fallacies involved.🧪👇

Estimation and mapping of the missing heritability of human phenotypes - Nature WGS data were used from 347,630 individuals with European ancestry in the UK Biobank to obtain high-precision estimates of coding and non-coding rare variant heritability for 34 co...

First time on Bsky and first big announcement!

I am excited to announce that our new study explaining the missing heritability of many phenotypes using WGS data from ~347,000 UK Biobank participants has just been published in @Nature.

Our manuscript is here: www.nature.com/articles/s41....

Late-life sexlessness is associated with higher education, lower alcohol and tobacco use, and a more nervous disposition, but around 15% of the variation is explained by thousands of genetic variants with tiny effects, research by @dr-appie.bsky.social et al finds:

buff.ly/5YTYf48

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Genetic associations with educational fields - Nature Genetics Genome-wide analyses of 10 educational fields identify 17 associated loci. Analysis of genetic clustering across specializations identifies two key dimensions that show genetic overlap with personalit...

1/ 🚨New paper in Nature Genetics

Genetic factors are associated with the educational fields people study, from arts to engineering.

Article: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
FAQ: www.thehastingscenter.org/genomic-find...

My house, @dr-appie.bsky.social’s house, @dirksmit.bsky.social’s house and the BGA 2026 venue are in this shot.. if you go to the conference I’ll pull up in my own boat and we’ll do boatrides!!

Nice commentary by @fctropf.bsky.social reflecting on our study on not having sex: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

(for full study, see quoted tweet below)

Phenotypic associations of sexlessness with health, psychological, and behavioral outcomes.

A study of over 500,000 Brits and Australians finds that people who never have sex are more educated, less likely to use alcohol and smoke, more nervous, lonelier, and unhappier. Regions with high income inequality had more sexless residents. In PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...

🧬💥 Do the genetics that make you develop a disease also help you survive it? Not much.

Our new study in Nature Genetics including 9 disease and 7 biobanks shows:

• Susceptibility variants ≠ survival
• PRSs for onset weak at predicting progression
• Lifespan PRS predicts survival better

A large, blue-grey, abstract silhouette of a person in front of a background of numerous red-orange figures.

#Sexlessness: Why do some people never have #sex, even later in life? A new study, conducted by @amsterdamumc.bsky.social and the University of Queensland alongside researchers of our Institute, explores this fascinating question.

Check out the @pnas.org paper here: doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2418257122

Within-family heritability estimates for behavioural and disease phenotypes from 500,000 sibling pairs of diverse ancestries https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.17.25336022v1

Can I just do it again?

Apply to do a PhD with me, Laura Corbin, Gareth Hawkes and George Davey Smith ( @mendelrandom.bsky.social) in Bristol on identifying rare effects on health using new and innovative methods. Amazing team, great educational environment, lovely city. Forward to your undergrads wrapping up!

Loved hosting @essgn.bsky.social in Oxford including @dr-appie.bsky.social & family (& the rest of the ESSGN family as well) - read the post and links below to hear about this great event

We welcomed the next generation of @essgn.bsky.social social science genomics researchers in Oxford!
✨ Speakers from industry (deCODE, Genomics), data (UKBiobank), experts from Oxford & beyond + an Editor from Nature Human Behaviour!

📸 More here 👉 www.demography.ox.ac.uk/news/lcds-ho...

1% of people don’t have sex. New research shows it may be partly genetic A study of more than 400,000 people found 1% had never had sex – which was linked to a range of genetic, environmental and other factors.

Brendan Zietsch wrote a good and accessible summary of our paper here: theconversation.com/1-of-people-...

And we loved attending this, thank you for organizing and hosting an unforgettable workshop, we had a great time and learned a lot! ♥️🧬

A Love Letter to Social Science Genetics

🔍 Behind the Paper: 'A Love Letter to Social Science Genetics'. 🧬 Some people call social science genetics a minefield. Others call it dangerous, even irresponsible. We call it the most promising field in life sciences. 🔗 bit.ly/46hwnBD @dr-appie.bsky.social @natureportfolio.nature.com #PsycSci

Life without sex: Large-scale study links sexlessness to physical, cognitive, and personality traits, socioecological factors, and DNA | PNAS Romantic (typically sexual) relationships are important to personal, physical, mental, social, and economic well-being, and to human evolution. Yet...

Many thanks to my co–first author @laurawesseldijk.bsky.social (🥰), co–last authors Brendan Zietsch & Karin Verweij, and all other co-authors ❤️

Check out the paper here: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Sexlessness is relevant to wellbeing and evolution. But it’s also a complex behavioral trait: its genetic associations trace back to many other traits and environments.

The associations we find are correlational and likely to be culture-specific, so more research is needed.

Genes linked to sexlessness overlap with genes associated with:
- Higher education & IQ
- Less substance use
- Higher autism & anorexia risk
- Lower ADHD, anxiety, depression & PTSD risk

Thousands of genetic variants with very tiny effects together explain ~15% of variation. The genetic correlation between men and women is .56.

Ancient DNA shows an allele significantly associated with sexlessness declined over 12,000 years, consistent with natural selection.

Where you live matters too.

Men in regions with fewer women were more likely to be sexless.

Sexlessness was also more common in regions with higher income inequality.

Sexless individuals reported:
- More loneliness, nervousness, unhappiness
- Fewer close relationships & social connections
- Less alcohol & drug use

Patterns differed by sex: for men, physical strength, income, and social connection mattered more.

Sex is central to human wellbeing.

~1% of people never have sex. While some people simply don’t want sex, for others, no partner can mean loneliness, lower wellbeing, or even economic disadvantage.

No sex is also interesting for genetics as it is an evolutionary “dead end”.

The largest study on late life virginity, based on >400k individuals, out now in @pnas.org

Open access link: pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Shoutout to shared first author @laurawesseldijk.bsky.social ❤️

Thread below 👇🏽

"Social science genetics encompasses the longest causal chain in science: from DNA to human culture."

A great read👇

Some social science genetics papers are among the most interesting and methodologically rigorous I've read.

From biology to mating choices and inequalities, they deal with very fundamental concepts of what makes as humans.

A Love Letter to Social Science Genetics Some people call social science genetics a minefield. Others call it dangerous, even irresponsible. I call it the most promising field in life sciences.

A Love Letter to Social Science Genetics communities.springernature.com/posts/a-love...