# Integrative network-based analysis of multi-omics data to elucidate the molecular connection between asthma and COPD

> **NIH NIH K25** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2021 · $189,000

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Growing evidence suggests an etiological link between asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) wherein mild-to-moderate persistent asthmatics are susceptible to persistent airflow obstruction, putting
them at a higher risk for developing COPD. Furthermore, epigenetic modulation due to in utero smoke (IUS)
exposure during fetal lung development may play a role in asthma and COPD. These and other data suggest a
lifelong trajectory of lung impairment from prenatal lung development to childhood asthma to COPD in adulthood.
Longitudinal and carefully phenotyped multi-omic data offer the opportunity to understand the molecular
determinants of this disease trajectory. Systems and network biology methods hold the potential to effectively
integrate, analyze and interpret multi-omics data. Multilayer networks, in particular, offer a feasible first step to
model disease perturbations jointly across multiple molecular levels, from the genome to the proteome. In this
application, we will simultaneously analyze the rich multi-omics data (SNP genotyping, DNA methylation, mRNA
and miRNA expression) collected as part of long-standing asthma and COPD cohorts using multilayer network
methods. We will first integrate IUS exposure, asthma and COPD multi-omics data into networks and develop
their statistical framework to facilitate subsequent bioinformatics analyses. We will then track the developmental
origins of asthma by the integrated temporal analysis of fetal lung and childhood asthma multi-omics data. Finally,
we will identify key molecules and pathways of the phenotypic transition from asthma in early life to COPD in
adulthood using multilayer networks. Dr. Halu’s training in statistical physics and complex networks has prepared
him well for his proposed research. However, understanding the molecular basis connecting complex lung
diseases such as asthma and COPD through the analysis of multi-omics data is a formidable task that will require
further training in specific areas. Dr. Halu will leverage the excellent intellectual environment of Harvard Medical
School (HMS) and its teaching hospitals, and will have access to extensive computational resources through the
Channing Division of Network Medicine and HMS. Through formal coursework and workshops, and with the help
of a mentoring and advisory team with complementary expertise, Dr. Halu will immerse himself in a training
program focusing on statistical genetics, epigenetics, and omics integration, big data in medical informatics, and
the biology of pulmonary diseases and clinical translation. Dr. Halu will also participate in regular meetings with
his mentors and advisory board members, which will allow him to share his progress. Altogether, Dr. Halu’s
training and research plan will enable him to expand his current skill set to include the ability to address the
challenges of analyzing the complex genomic and epigenomic data of large epidemiological cohorts, identify
...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10219832
- **Project number:** 5K25HL150336-02
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Arda Halu
- **Activity code:** K25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $189,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-18 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10219832

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10219832, Integrative network-based analysis of multi-omics data to elucidate the molecular connection between asthma and COPD (5K25HL150336-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10219832. Licensed CC0.

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