Cassandra Spracklen

Cassandra Spracklen

Associate Professor of Epidemiology

Genetic epidemiology; genetics of cardiometabolic traits; reproductive and perinatal epidemiology; life course epidemiology

Location

Arnold House

715 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01003
United States

429 Arnold House

The overarching theme of my research is to discover how genetic variants influence cardiometabolic traits and the mechanisms through which they act. Genetic studies have recently identified many DNA regions that affect whether an individual has inherited a high risk for cardiometabolic traits, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes. However, most of these findings are not yet being used to identify new drugs to treat or prevent disease because, within most of these DNA regions, the specific DNA variants and genes that influence disease risk have not yet been identified. The goal of my research is to combine epidemiologic, genetic, and bioinformatic methodologies to tease apart results from genome-wide association studies and identify which DNA variant(s) are ultimately responsible for a given cardiometabolic trait. 

I also have strong research interests in reproductive and perinatal epidemiology, particularly regarding fertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes, as well as life course epidemiology. 

Research Lab Website:

The Spracklen Lab

Education

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2014-2019
  • PhD, University of Iowa, 2014
  • MS, University of Iowa, 2011
  • BA, Anderson University, 2009

Key Publications

Spracklen CN*, Horikoshi M*, Kim YJ*, Lin K*, Bragg F, Moon S, Suzuki K, Tam CHT, Tabara Y, Kwak SH, Takeuchi F, Long J, Lim VJY, Chai JF, Chen CH, Nakatochi M, Yao J, Choi HS, Iyengar AK, Brontman SM, Perrin HJ, van de Bunt M, Gloyn AL, Below JE, Boehnke M, Bowden DW, Chambers JC, Mahajan A, McCarthy MI, Ng MCY, Petty LE, Zhang W, Morris AP, Adair L, Bian Z, Chan JCN, Chang LC, Chee ML, Chen YDI, Chen YT, Chen Z, Chuang LM, Du S, Gordon-Larsen P, Gross M, Guo X, Guo Y, Han S, Howard AG, Huang W, Hung YJ, Hwang MY, Hwu CM, Ichihara S, Isono M, Jang HM, Jiang G, Jonas J, Kamatani Y, Katsuya T, Kawaguchi T, Khor CC, Kohara K, Lee MS, Lee N, Li L, Liu J, Luk AO,  Lv J, Okada Y, Pereira MA, Sabanayagam C, Shi J, Shin DM, So WY, Takahashi A, Tomlinson B, Tsai FJ, van Dam RM, Xiang Y, Yamamoto K, Yamauchi T, Yoon K, Yu C, Yuan JM, Zhang L, Zheng W, Igase M, Cho YS, Rotter JI, Wang YX, Sheu WHH, Yokota M, Wu JY, Cheng CY, Wong TY, Shu XO, Kato N, Park KS, Tai ES, Matsuda F, Koh WP, Ma RCW, Maeda S, Millwood IY, Lee J, Kadowaki T*, Walters RG*, Kim BJ*, Mohlke KL*, Sim X*. Identification of type 2 diabetes loci in 433,540 East Asian individuals. Nature 2020;582(7811):240-245.

Spracklen CN, Karaderi T, Yaghootkar H, Schurmann C, Fine RS, Kutalik Z, Preuss MH, Lu Y, Wittemans LBL, Adair LS, Allison M, Amin N, Auer PL, Bartz TM, Blüher M, Boehnke M, Borja JB, Bork-Jensen J, Broer L, Chasman DI, Chen YI, Chirstofidou P, Demirkan A, van Duijn CM, Feitosa MF, Garcia ME, Graff M, Grallert H, Grarup N, Guo X, Haesser J, Hansen T, Harris TB, Highland HM, Hong J, Ikram MA, Ingelsson E, Jackson R, Jousilahti P, Kähönen M, Kizer JR, Kovacs P, Kriebel J, Laakso M, Lange LA, Lehtimäki T, Li J, Li-Gao R, Lind L, Luan J, Lyytikäinen LP, MacGregor S, Mackey DA, Mahajan A, Mangino M, Männistö S, McCarthy MI, McKnight B, Medina-Gomez C, Meigs JB, Molnos S, Mook-Kanamori D, Morris AP, de Mutsert R, Nalls MA, Nedeljkovic I, North KE, Pennell CE, Pradhan AD, Province MA, Raitakari OT, Raulerson CK, Reiner AP, Ridker PM, Ripatti S, Roberston N, Rotter JI, Salomaa V, Sandoval-Zárate AA, Sitlani CM, Spector TD, Strauch K, Stumvoll M, Taylor KD, Thuesen B, Tönjes A, Uitterlinden AG, Venturini C, Walker M, Wang CA, Wang S, Wareham NJ, Willems SM, Willems van Dijk K, Wilson JG, Wu Y, Yao J, Young KL, Langenberg C, Frayling TM, Kilpeläinen TO, Lindgren CM, Loos RJF, Mohlke KL. Exome-Derived Adiponectin-Associated Variants Implicate Obesity and Lipid Biology. Am J Hum Genet. 2019 Jul 3;105(1):15-28. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.05.002. Epub 2019 Jun 6. PubMed PMID: 31178129; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6612516.

Spracklen CN, Shi J, Vadlamudi S, Wu Y, Zou M, Raulerson CK, Davis JP, Zeynalzadeh M, Jackson K, Yuan W, Wang H, Shou W, Wang Y, Luo J, Lange LA, Lange EM, Popkin BM, Gordon-Larsen P, Du S, Huang W, Mohlke KL. Identification and functional analysis of glycemic trait loci in the China Health and Nutrition Survey. PLoS Genet.2018 Apr;14(4):e1007275. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007275. eCollection 2018 Apr. PubMed PMID: 29621232; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5886383.

Spracklen CN, Chen P, Kim YJ, Wang X, Cai H, Li S, Long J, Wu Y, Wang YX, Takeuchi F, Wu JY, Jung KJ, Hu C, Akiyama K, Zhang Y, Moon S, Johnson TA, Li H, Dorajoo R, He M, Cannon ME, Roman TS, Salfati E, Lin KH, Guo X, Sheu WHH, Absher D, Adair LS, Assimes TL, Aung T, Cai Q, Chang LC, Chen CH, Chien LH, Chuang LM, Chuang SC, Du S, Fan Q, Fann CSJ, Feranil AB, Friedlander Y, Gordon-Larsen P, Gu D, Gui L, Guo Z, Heng CK, Hixson J, Hou X, Hsiung CA, Hu Y, Hwang MY, Hwu CM, Isono M, Juang JJ, Khor CC, Kim YK, Koh WP, Kubo M, Lee IT, Lee SJ, Lee WJ, Liang KW, Lim B, Lim SH, Liu J, Nabika T, Pan WH, Peng H, Quertermous T, Sabanayagam C, Sandow K, Shi J, Sun L, Tan PC, Tan SP, Taylor KD, Teo YY, Toh SA, Tsunoda T, van Dam RM, Wang A, Wang F, Wang J, Wei WB, Xiang YB, Yao J, Yuan JM, Zhang R, Zhao W, Chen YI, Rich SS, Rotter JI, Wang TD, Wu T, Lin X, Han BG, Tanaka T, Cho YS, Katsuya T, Jia W, Jee SH, Chen YT, Kato N, Jonas JB, Cheng CY, Shu XO, He J, Zheng W, Wong TY, Huang W, Kim BJ, Tai ES, Mohlke KL, Sim X. Association analyses of East Asian individuals and trans-ancestry analyses with European individuals reveal new loci associated with cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Hum Mol Genet. 2017 May 1;26(9):1770-1784. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddx062. PubMed PMID: 28334899; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6075203.

Spracklen CN, Saftlas AF, Triche EW, Bjonnes A, Keating B, Saxena R, Breheny PJ, Dewan AT, Robinson JG, Hoh J, Ryckman KK. Genetic Predisposition to Dyslipidemia and Risk of Preeclampsia. Am J Hypertens. 2015 Jul;28(7):915-23. doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpu242. Epub 2014 Dec 17. PubMed PMID: 25523295; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4542907.

Spracklen CN, Smith CJ, Saftlas AF, Robinson JG, Ryckman KK. Maternal hyperlipidemia and the risk of preeclampsia: a meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 2014 Aug 15;180(4):346-58. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwu145. Epub 2014 Jul 2. PubMed PMID: 24989239; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4565654.