Auton Lab (23andMe Research Institute)
Summary¶
The Auton Lab, led by Dr. Adam Auton at the 23andMe Research Institute, is a computational genetics group specializing in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and pharmacogenetics. The lab leverages 23andMe's large database of genotyped participants and self-reported health surveys to identify genetic determinants of disease risk, phenotypic traits, and drug response. Their recent work has mapped genetic predictors of response and side effects for GLP-1 Receptor Agonists.
Research Focus¶
- Pharmacogenetics: Identifying genetic variants that influence individual drug efficacy and adverse drug reactions (ADRs).
- Large-scale GWAS: Designing and executing association studies on cohorts of hundreds of thousands to millions of research participants.
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) Integration: Comparing self-report survey data with EHRs (e.g., via Apple HealthKit) to validate phenotype models.
Key Investigators¶
- Adam Auton, D.Phil.: Vice President of Human Genetics and lead investigator at the 23andMe Research Institute.
Related Concepts and References¶
Citations¶
- Su, Q. J., et al. (2026). Genetic predictors of GLP1 receptor agonist weight loss and side effects. Nature, 653, 770–775. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10330-z. Source paper: s41586-026-10330-z.pdf