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🧬 PRSs in practice (5/5): Are healthcare professionals ready?

A concern about PRSs is that clinicians lack genomics knowledge or risk-communication skills.

The solution is not to avoid PRSs, but to invest in training & support.

Read my paper with @mikeinouye.bsky.social 👉 rdcu.be/eNeKN

#Genomics

12.11.2025 11:08 — 👍 5    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

🧬 PRSs in practice (4/5): Lower-risk PRS results — false reassurance, or false assumption?

A common concern is that lower-risk PRS results cause false reassurance. But evidence & theory do not support this.

Read my paper with @mikeinouye.bsky.social here👉 rdcu.be/eNeKN

#Genomics #PolygenicScores

10.11.2025 09:50 — 👍 2    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

🧬 PRSs in practice (3/5): Higher-risk results = behaviour change?

A common concern is that higher-risk polygenic risk scores (PRSs) don’t motivate lifestyle behaviour change.

My @nathumbehav.nature.com paper with @mikeinouye.bsky.social addresses this 👉 rdcu.be/eNeKN

#Genomics #BehaviourChange

06.11.2025 14:27 — 👍 4    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

Psychological and behavioural considerations for integrating polygenic risk scores for disease into clinical practice Nature Human Behaviour - The application of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) in clinical practice has advanced but also received criticism. In this Perspective, major psychological and behavioural...

This post is based on my new paper in @nathumbehav.nature.com with @mikeinouye.bsky.social, in which we examine five common arguments about the psychological & behavioural aspects of implementing PRSs, present five counterarguments, and draw on theory & evidence.

Read it here 👉 rdcu.be/eNeKN

05.11.2025 10:18 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

🧬 PRSs in practice (2/5): Do higher-risk polygenic risk score (PRS) results really cause distress?

Evidence so far doesn’t suggest substantial or lasting psychological harm — though research remains limited.

👉 rdcu.be/eNeKN

#Genomics #PolygenicRiskScores #Risk #MentalHealth #Depression #Anxiety

05.11.2025 10:05 — 👍 2    🔁 3    💬 1    📌 0

Psychological and behavioural considerations for integrating polygenic risk scores for disease into clinical practice Nature Human Behaviour - The application of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) in clinical practice has advanced but also received criticism. In this Perspective, major psychological and behavioural...

🧬 I’ve started a series on polygenic risk scores (PRSs) in healthcare practice, from my new paper with @mikeinouye.bsky.social in @nathumbehav.nature.com.

Yesterday’s post was on public understanding.

Tomorrow: do higher-risk PRS results cause distress?

👉 rdcu.be/eNeKN

#Genomics #PolygenicScores

04.11.2025 11:03 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Psychological and behavioural considerations for integrating polygenic risk scores for disease into clinical practice Nature Human Behaviour - The application of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) in clinical practice has advanced but also received criticism. In this Perspective, major psychological and behavioural...

Rather than slowing implementation, the answer is education, engagement, and co-design — not avoidance.

Read the paper here 👉 rdcu.be/eNeKN

#PolygenicRiskScores #Genomics #RiskCommunication #PublicUnderstandingOfRisk #ScienceCommunication #PrecisionMedicine

03.11.2025 09:42 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 1

💡 Evidence shows:
• Public understanding of genomics is improving
• Education tools (videos, digital aids, AI tutors) boost comprehension
• People can interpret complex genomic info when communication is clear

03.11.2025 09:42 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Our new Nature Human Behaviour paper (with @mikeinouye.bsky.social) argues that this view underestimates people’s ability to engage with genomics.

Some may struggle to explain PRSs precisely — but that doesn’t mean they can’t grasp what they mean.

03.11.2025 09:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

🧬 PRSs in practice (1/5): Public understanding — are we underestimating the public?

A common claim: “The public won’t understand polygenic risk scores (PRSs)” — so using them in healthcare could be risky.
But is that really true? 🧵

03.11.2025 09:40 — 👍 4    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 1