Luke Pilling
@lcpilling.bsky.social
PhD. Genetic epidemiologist
Researching mechanisms of chronic long-term conditions, ageing, and drugs @ University of Exeter, UK
❤Rstats. UCU rep✊. Views my own
He/him. 🏳️🌈ally. 🇬🇧🇪🇺
📷 ShowYourStripes.info
W: https://github.com/lcpilling
Researching mechanisms of chronic long-term conditions, ageing, and drugs @ University of Exeter, UK
❤Rstats. UCU rep✊. Views my own
He/him. 🏳️🌈ally. 🇬🇧🇪🇺
📷 ShowYourStripes.info
W: https://github.com/lcpilling
Hear about the awesome research into Healthy Ageing and Chronic Disease @exeter.ac.uk
Fantastic overview from the always inspiring @janemasoli.bsky.social
Special mention to @lornah.bsky.social, Chris Scotton, and the 100s of fabulous colleagues behind the science
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGlY...
Fantastic overview from the always inspiring @janemasoli.bsky.social
Special mention to @lornah.bsky.social, Chris Scotton, and the 100s of fabulous colleagues behind the science
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGlY...
Healthy Ageing and Chronic Disease research at the University of Exeter
YouTube video by University of Exeter
www.youtube.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Hear about the awesome research into Healthy Ageing and Chronic Disease @exeter.ac.uk
Fantastic overview from the always inspiring @janemasoli.bsky.social
Special mention to @lornah.bsky.social, Chris Scotton, and the 100s of fabulous colleagues behind the science
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGlY...
Fantastic overview from the always inspiring @janemasoli.bsky.social
Special mention to @lornah.bsky.social, Chris Scotton, and the 100s of fabulous colleagues behind the science
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGlY...
Reposted by Luke Pilling
I'm seeing relatively little chatter or outcry about what is happening at the MRC, the UK's biomedical research funder.
Before Christmas MRC paused the acceptance of many of its grants, including the standard applicant-led research grant. There has been no public information on what is happening 🧵
Before Christmas MRC paused the acceptance of many of its grants, including the standard applicant-led research grant. There has been no public information on what is happening 🧵
January 23, 2026 at 1:50 PM
I'm seeing relatively little chatter or outcry about what is happening at the MRC, the UK's biomedical research funder.
Before Christmas MRC paused the acceptance of many of its grants, including the standard applicant-led research grant. There has been no public information on what is happening 🧵
Before Christmas MRC paused the acceptance of many of its grants, including the standard applicant-led research grant. There has been no public information on what is happening 🧵
Update to my UK Biobank R package {ukbrapR} 🌟
Get imputed variants (load genos or for PGS) using chr:pos not RSIDs (+ MAF, INFO etc). It can also do this for DRAGEN WGS 🐉
Thanks to @harrygreentkd.bsky.social for the help (and pub+pint whilst bug checking!) 🍻
v0.3.10 :: github.com/lcpilling/uk...
Get imputed variants (load genos or for PGS) using chr:pos not RSIDs (+ MAF, INFO etc). It can also do this for DRAGEN WGS 🐉
Thanks to @harrygreentkd.bsky.social for the help (and pub+pint whilst bug checking!) 🍻
v0.3.10 :: github.com/lcpilling/uk...
GitHub - lcpilling/ukbrapR: R package for working in the UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform (RAP)
R package for working in the UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform (RAP) - lcpilling/ukbrapR
github.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Update to my UK Biobank R package {ukbrapR} 🌟
Get imputed variants (load genos or for PGS) using chr:pos not RSIDs (+ MAF, INFO etc). It can also do this for DRAGEN WGS 🐉
Thanks to @harrygreentkd.bsky.social for the help (and pub+pint whilst bug checking!) 🍻
v0.3.10 :: github.com/lcpilling/uk...
Get imputed variants (load genos or for PGS) using chr:pos not RSIDs (+ MAF, INFO etc). It can also do this for DRAGEN WGS 🐉
Thanks to @harrygreentkd.bsky.social for the help (and pub+pint whilst bug checking!) 🍻
v0.3.10 :: github.com/lcpilling/uk...
Reposted by Luke Pilling
As a neuroscientist, here are 8 ways to maximise misery:
1. Check your phone immediately after waking.
Flood your brain with news designed to make you anxious and angry.
1. Check your phone immediately after waking.
Flood your brain with news designed to make you anxious and angry.
January 28, 2026 at 12:55 PM
As a neuroscientist, here are 8 ways to maximise misery:
1. Check your phone immediately after waking.
Flood your brain with news designed to make you anxious and angry.
1. Check your phone immediately after waking.
Flood your brain with news designed to make you anxious and angry.
Got to say, pretty impressed by the GitHub Copilot coding agent... for repos with my existing code it is fantastic for extending to new analyses that I am interested in doing i.e., it looks at your coding style, data structures, etc and creates a Pull Request for you to review
January 23, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Got to say, pretty impressed by the GitHub Copilot coding agent... for repos with my existing code it is fantastic for extending to new analyses that I am interested in doing i.e., it looks at your coding style, data structures, etc and creates a Pull Request for you to review
I don't normally do work on Saturdays (though often end up catching up in evenings due to young children etc)
These Saturday GitHub commits were on nerdy personal repos where I annually analyse data about my central heating (Raspberry Pi managed) and my car fuel efficiency 😅 a wild Saturday evening
These Saturday GitHub commits were on nerdy personal repos where I annually analyse data about my central heating (Raspberry Pi managed) and my car fuel efficiency 😅 a wild Saturday evening
January 19, 2026 at 1:41 PM
I don't normally do work on Saturdays (though often end up catching up in evenings due to young children etc)
These Saturday GitHub commits were on nerdy personal repos where I annually analyse data about my central heating (Raspberry Pi managed) and my car fuel efficiency 😅 a wild Saturday evening
These Saturday GitHub commits were on nerdy personal repos where I annually analyse data about my central heating (Raspberry Pi managed) and my car fuel efficiency 😅 a wild Saturday evening
Reposted by Luke Pilling
Why do some individuals defy their polygenic score?
In the largest study of its kind (402k UKB individuals; 7 continuous traits + 3 diseases), we asked: If your phenotype deviates from common-variant polygenic score prediction, what's driving that difference?
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
In the largest study of its kind (402k UKB individuals; 7 continuous traits + 3 diseases), we asked: If your phenotype deviates from common-variant polygenic score prediction, what's driving that difference?
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
January 6, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Why do some individuals defy their polygenic score?
In the largest study of its kind (402k UKB individuals; 7 continuous traits + 3 diseases), we asked: If your phenotype deviates from common-variant polygenic score prediction, what's driving that difference?
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
In the largest study of its kind (402k UKB individuals; 7 continuous traits + 3 diseases), we asked: If your phenotype deviates from common-variant polygenic score prediction, what's driving that difference?
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Luke Pilling
January @DEMONNetworkUK Biomarkers working group is hosting an Inflammation special with Dr Maura Malpetti and Dr Sofia Michopoulou “Unravelling Inflammation in Dementia: Proteomic and Imaging Insights” 📅 Wed 14th Jan 10.30am GMT. New members welcome - pls message for details.
January 12, 2026 at 9:31 PM
January @DEMONNetworkUK Biomarkers working group is hosting an Inflammation special with Dr Maura Malpetti and Dr Sofia Michopoulou “Unravelling Inflammation in Dementia: Proteomic and Imaging Insights” 📅 Wed 14th Jan 10.30am GMT. New members welcome - pls message for details.
Bookmarked! 🔖
January 6, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Bookmarked! 🔖
Somehow finished my to-do list (well, the urgent stuff) so early Xmas present to myself is a few (uninterrupted? 🤞) days on DNAnexus with the new release of UK Our Future Health data 🤩
Opening Presents Eric Cartman GIF
ALT: Opening Presents Eric Cartman GIF
media.tenor.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Somehow finished my to-do list (well, the urgent stuff) so early Xmas present to myself is a few (uninterrupted? 🤞) days on DNAnexus with the new release of UK Our Future Health data 🤩
Great to be back at the @ukbiobank.bsky.social scientific conference 2025 to meet old friends and make new collaborations #UKBSC25
Positive opening remarks from Prof Collins RE growing data linkages (GP data actually incoming? 🤞) and amazing research outputs
Message if you're here and want to chat
Positive opening remarks from Prof Collins RE growing data linkages (GP data actually incoming? 🤞) and amazing research outputs
Message if you're here and want to chat
December 8, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Great to be back at the @ukbiobank.bsky.social scientific conference 2025 to meet old friends and make new collaborations #UKBSC25
Positive opening remarks from Prof Collins RE growing data linkages (GP data actually incoming? 🤞) and amazing research outputs
Message if you're here and want to chat
Positive opening remarks from Prof Collins RE growing data linkages (GP data actually incoming? 🤞) and amazing research outputs
Message if you're here and want to chat
(Re)discovered the ability to "mute" words from the feed. I come here for your niche science, health data, and genetics posts ❤️ I do not need anything about cats or certain megalomanic billionaires (though at least your cat pictures were cute)
December 5, 2025 at 1:44 PM
(Re)discovered the ability to "mute" words from the feed. I come here for your niche science, health data, and genetics posts ❤️ I do not need anything about cats or certain megalomanic billionaires (though at least your cat pictures were cute)
Really enjoyed a joint meeting earlier between Exeter rare genetics team and @celsoneto.bsky.social and colleagues from the Human Genomics without Racism (HUGERA) project 🧬
Really complex area. Looking forward to considering how to better consider genetic diversity and self-identified ethnicity!
Really complex area. Looking forward to considering how to better consider genetic diversity and self-identified ethnicity!
November 27, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Really enjoyed a joint meeting earlier between Exeter rare genetics team and @celsoneto.bsky.social and colleagues from the Human Genomics without Racism (HUGERA) project 🧬
Really complex area. Looking forward to considering how to better consider genetic diversity and self-identified ethnicity!
Really complex area. Looking forward to considering how to better consider genetic diversity and self-identified ethnicity!
Reposted by Luke Pilling
There’s a new kid in town!
Companies are now selling IVF and embryo selection based on genetic testing for traits related to health and even intelligence.
We outline methodological and ethical concerns, and warn against risks for social inequality.
With the fantastic @gaiaghirardi.bsky.social
Companies are now selling IVF and embryo selection based on genetic testing for traits related to health and even intelligence.
We outline methodological and ethical concerns, and warn against risks for social inequality.
With the fantastic @gaiaghirardi.bsky.social
Embryo selection based on polygenic prediction risks reinforcing social inequality
The rise of companies offering embryo selection based on genetic testing has triggered heated debate about ethical acceptability, as well as the accuracy and scientific validity of these techniques. W...
www.fertstert.org
November 13, 2025 at 8:09 AM
There’s a new kid in town!
Companies are now selling IVF and embryo selection based on genetic testing for traits related to health and even intelligence.
We outline methodological and ethical concerns, and warn against risks for social inequality.
With the fantastic @gaiaghirardi.bsky.social
Companies are now selling IVF and embryo selection based on genetic testing for traits related to health and even intelligence.
We outline methodological and ethical concerns, and warn against risks for social inequality.
With the fantastic @gaiaghirardi.bsky.social
Reposted by Luke Pilling
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....
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....
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...
www.nature.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:57 PM
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....
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....
Reposted by Luke Pilling
Post-doc opportunity in Exeter 🌟 studying genetic modifiers of haemochromatosis 🩸
Closing date 30 Oct!
Come and work with a interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians, and statistical geneticists, in a beautiful city in the South West of England ❤️
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Closing date 30 Oct!
Come and work with a interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians, and statistical geneticists, in a beautiful city in the South West of England ❤️
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
September 16, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Post-doc opportunity in Exeter 🌟 studying genetic modifiers of haemochromatosis 🩸
Closing date 30 Oct!
Come and work with a interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians, and statistical geneticists, in a beautiful city in the South West of England ❤️
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Closing date 30 Oct!
Come and work with a interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians, and statistical geneticists, in a beautiful city in the South West of England ❤️
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Reposted by Luke Pilling
@ewanbirney.bsky.social on the new version of Alphafold at the @emblebi.bsky.social
www.ebi.ac.uk/about/news/t...
AlphaFold has been a transformation not just in structural biology but also - due to its ability to be applied to all proteins - to molecular biology as a whole.
www.ebi.ac.uk/about/news/t...
AlphaFold has been a transformation not just in structural biology but also - due to its ability to be applied to all proteins - to molecular biology as a whole.
EMBL-EBI and Google DeepMind renew partnership and release update to AlphaFold Database
Deeper collaboration between EMBL-EBI and Google DeepMind brings updates to the AlphaFold Database.
www.ebi.ac.uk
October 8, 2025 at 10:38 AM
@ewanbirney.bsky.social on the new version of Alphafold at the @emblebi.bsky.social
www.ebi.ac.uk/about/news/t...
AlphaFold has been a transformation not just in structural biology but also - due to its ability to be applied to all proteins - to molecular biology as a whole.
www.ebi.ac.uk/about/news/t...
AlphaFold has been a transformation not just in structural biology but also - due to its ability to be applied to all proteins - to molecular biology as a whole.
One of the biggest increases in my analysis/coding productivity in recent years is completely embracing git repos 🐧
Coupled with GitHub it is *so easy* to be open, reproducible, efficient, and accountable to myself and colleagues 👨💻
No more chaotic servers wondering which script led to what! 😵💫
Coupled with GitHub it is *so easy* to be open, reproducible, efficient, and accountable to myself and colleagues 👨💻
No more chaotic servers wondering which script led to what! 😵💫
October 3, 2025 at 9:00 AM
One of the biggest increases in my analysis/coding productivity in recent years is completely embracing git repos 🐧
Coupled with GitHub it is *so easy* to be open, reproducible, efficient, and accountable to myself and colleagues 👨💻
No more chaotic servers wondering which script led to what! 😵💫
Coupled with GitHub it is *so easy* to be open, reproducible, efficient, and accountable to myself and colleagues 👨💻
No more chaotic servers wondering which script led to what! 😵💫
Reposted by Luke Pilling
What an amazing place to present GEMINI research on steroid pharmacogenomics and osteoporosis by @denizturkmen.bsky.social @lcpilling.bsky.social and the GEMINI #MLTC team @universityofexeter.bsky.social #EUGMS2025
September 24, 2025 at 3:56 PM
What an amazing place to present GEMINI research on steroid pharmacogenomics and osteoporosis by @denizturkmen.bsky.social @lcpilling.bsky.social and the GEMINI #MLTC team @universityofexeter.bsky.social #EUGMS2025
Post-doc opportunity in Exeter 🌟 studying genetic modifiers of haemochromatosis 🩸
Closing date 30 Oct!
Come and work with a interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians, and statistical geneticists, in a beautiful city in the South West of England ❤️
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Closing date 30 Oct!
Come and work with a interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians, and statistical geneticists, in a beautiful city in the South West of England ❤️
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
September 16, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Post-doc opportunity in Exeter 🌟 studying genetic modifiers of haemochromatosis 🩸
Closing date 30 Oct!
Come and work with a interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians, and statistical geneticists, in a beautiful city in the South West of England ❤️
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Closing date 30 Oct!
Come and work with a interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians, and statistical geneticists, in a beautiful city in the South West of England ❤️
jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Number 1 way journals make me happy at the moment:
"YOU DO NOT NEED TO SPECIFICALLY FORMAT YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR FIRST SUBMISSION"
#AcademicLife #AcademicChat
"YOU DO NOT NEED TO SPECIFICALLY FORMAT YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR FIRST SUBMISSION"
#AcademicLife #AcademicChat
a man with long hair and a beard is sitting in the driver 's seat of a car .
ALT: a man with long hair and a beard is sitting in the driver 's seat of a car .
media.tenor.com
September 10, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Number 1 way journals make me happy at the moment:
"YOU DO NOT NEED TO SPECIFICALLY FORMAT YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR FIRST SUBMISSION"
#AcademicLife #AcademicChat
"YOU DO NOT NEED TO SPECIFICALLY FORMAT YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR FIRST SUBMISSION"
#AcademicLife #AcademicChat
Latest preprint by PhD student Mitch Lucas on the genetic iron overload disease #haemochromatosis doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Massive study of factors affecting clinical outcomes in HFE carriers, including genetic predisposition to higher transferrin saturation
@janicelatkins.bsky.social
@exeter.ac.uk
Massive study of factors affecting clinical outcomes in HFE carriers, including genetic predisposition to higher transferrin saturation
@janicelatkins.bsky.social
@exeter.ac.uk
September 3, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Latest preprint by PhD student Mitch Lucas on the genetic iron overload disease #haemochromatosis doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Massive study of factors affecting clinical outcomes in HFE carriers, including genetic predisposition to higher transferrin saturation
@janicelatkins.bsky.social
@exeter.ac.uk
Massive study of factors affecting clinical outcomes in HFE carriers, including genetic predisposition to higher transferrin saturation
@janicelatkins.bsky.social
@exeter.ac.uk
Very exciting to have access to "Our Future Health" data and begin understanding what is available and how to access it
Many thanks to the volunteers so far. Still a long way to go - consider signing up if you haven't already!
This is a greater primer on the aims www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Many thanks to the volunteers so far. Still a long way to go - consider signing up if you haven't already!
This is a greater primer on the aims www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our Future Health: a unique global resource for discovery and translational research - Nature Medicine
Our Future Health has recruited more than 1 million participants in the UK, with biobanked bloods, making it the largest consented cohort of its type in the world.
www.nature.com
August 29, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Very exciting to have access to "Our Future Health" data and begin understanding what is available and how to access it
Many thanks to the volunteers so far. Still a long way to go - consider signing up if you haven't already!
This is a greater primer on the aims www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Many thanks to the volunteers so far. Still a long way to go - consider signing up if you haven't already!
This is a greater primer on the aims www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Study of 230,000 people finds many examples where the effect of a genetic variant differs depending on the parent of origin, especially for growth and metabolism - fascinating!
Amazing study, congrats @rjhfmstr.bsky.social, @zkutalik.bsky.social and team 👏
Amazing study, congrats @rjhfmstr.bsky.social, @zkutalik.bsky.social and team 👏
🚨 Our parent-of-origin study is out in Nature! 🧬
Maternal and paternal alleles can have distinct — even opposite — effects on human traits, revealing a hidden layer of genetic architecture that standard GWAS miss.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Highlights below!
Maternal and paternal alleles can have distinct — even opposite — effects on human traits, revealing a hidden layer of genetic architecture that standard GWAS miss.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Highlights below!
August 22, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Study of 230,000 people finds many examples where the effect of a genetic variant differs depending on the parent of origin, especially for growth and metabolism - fascinating!
Amazing study, congrats @rjhfmstr.bsky.social, @zkutalik.bsky.social and team 👏
Amazing study, congrats @rjhfmstr.bsky.social, @zkutalik.bsky.social and team 👏
My latest data hobby: my Spotify listening history!
Had no idea until recently that you could download a history over ever song you've ever listened to. Cue some fun R hours!
Some surprising trends and top picks. Dominated by my work listening rather than "favourites"
lcpilling.github.io/spotify
Had no idea until recently that you could download a history over ever song you've ever listened to. Cue some fun R hours!
Some surprising trends and top picks. Dominated by my work listening rather than "favourites"
lcpilling.github.io/spotify
August 21, 2025 at 12:34 PM
My latest data hobby: my Spotify listening history!
Had no idea until recently that you could download a history over ever song you've ever listened to. Cue some fun R hours!
Some surprising trends and top picks. Dominated by my work listening rather than "favourites"
lcpilling.github.io/spotify
Had no idea until recently that you could download a history over ever song you've ever listened to. Cue some fun R hours!
Some surprising trends and top picks. Dominated by my work listening rather than "favourites"
lcpilling.github.io/spotify