The Health for Life in Singapore (HELIOS) Study: delivering precision medicine research for Asian populations
Asian people are under-represented in population-based, clinical, and genomic research. To address this gap, we have initiated the Health for Life in Singapore (HELIOS) longitudinal cohort study, comprising comprehensive behavioural, phenotypic, and genomic measurements from 10,004 Asian men and women of Chinese, Indian or Malay background. Phenotyping has been carried out using validated approaches, that are internationally interoperable. Health record linkage enriches both baseline phenotyping and evaluation of prospective outcomes. The integrated multi-omics data include whole-genome and RNA sequencing, quantification of DNA methylation, and metabolomic profiling. Our data reveal extensive lifestyle, physiological, genomic, and molecular diversity between the distinct Asian ethnic groups, and the biological interconnectivity between functional layers. This includes characterisation of divergent patterns of genome regulation between Asian individuals, that correlate with differences in educational attainment, dietary quality, and adiposity, and which overlap transcription factors and DNA methylation sites linked to the development of diabetes and other chronic diseases. Our unique HELIOS Asian Precision Medicine cohort study represents a state-of-the-art platform to enable biomedical researchers to understand the aetiology and pathogenesis of diverse disease outcomes in Asia, and to generate insights that have the potential to improve health outcomes for Asian populations globally.
Authors
- Rob M. van Dam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7354-8734)
- Akash Bahai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4059-5195)
- Claire Bellis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5073-9610)
- Harinakshi Sanikini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3079-5559)
- Theresia Handayani Mina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5360-9915)
- Tricia Chang
- Sabrina Wong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9220-1763)
- L. L. Lee
- Pritesh Jain (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3720-8409)
- R. Dalan
- Tan P-Z
- Pierre-Alexis Goy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0281-0889)
- Maxime Hebrard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2346-4513)
- Darwin Tay (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4309-2772)
- Pin Yan Low
- James D. Best (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5239-9274)
- Yik Weng Yew (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8915-306X)
- Gregory Michelotti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3936-4675)
- Nilanjana Sadhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1705-9730)
- Joanne Yuen Yie Ngeow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1558-3627)
- Patricia A. Sheridan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3332-9577)
- E. W. T. Lee
- Swat Kim Kerk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3014-3195)
- Guo Liang Low
- Benjamin Chih Chiang Lam
- Soren Brage
- Zhen Xuan Yeo
- Tock Han Lim
- Wee-Lin Choo
- Xiaoyan Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0993-9332)
- Marie Chiew Shia Loh
- Elio Riboli
- Jimmy Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7724-7445)
- Gervais Wanseicheong
- Ee-J Leow
- Liming Lim
- Terry Y.Y. Tong
- JC Chambers
- Xue Li Guan
- The HELIOS Study team
- Dorrain Yanwen Low
- Kostas Tsilidis
- Max Lam
- Nicolas Bertin
- Paul Elliott
- Wai Kee Kok
- Hong Kiat Ng
- Kelvin Li
- Kari E. Wong
Institutions
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research (SG)
- National Skin Centre (SG)
- Ministry of Health (SG)
- Milken Institute (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Nanyang Technological University (SG)
- George Washington University (US)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Tan Tock Seng Hospital (SG)
- Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (SG)
- SingHealth Polyclinics (SG)
- Metabolon (United States) (US)
- National Cancer Centre Singapore (SG)
- Institute of Mental Health (SG)
- National University Health System (SG)
- Precision Research (United States) (US)
- MRC Epidemiology Unit (GB)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- Genome Institute of Singapore (SG)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-12-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65774-0
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.63
Funders
- National Research Foundation
- National Research Foundation Singapore
- Nanyang Technological University
- National Healthcare Group
- National Supercomputing Centre Singapore
- Medical Research Council
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- National Medical Research Council
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University