My research interest is the epidemiology of diabetes and related conditions. My collaborators and I have conducted several population-based studies nested within the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and the Third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES III) to examine environmental and genetic (candidate gene and admixture mapping) risk factors for the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. I also currently have two NIH-funded studies to perform admixture mapping analyses in the ARIC study and the FIND Study (Family Investigation of Diabetes and Nephropathy). In terms of family-based genetic analyses, I have a project studying the genetic epidemiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the Old Order Amish. This study has about 1,000 individuals, from about 30 3-generational families, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The goal of this project is to identify chromosomal regions that can account for inter-individual variability in non-alcoholic fatty liver. Lastly, I am actively involved in population-based genetic studies component of the Reynolds Cardiovascular Research Center at Johns Hopkins. The primary phenotype of interest in this project is sudden cardiac death. Both genome-wide and candidate gene association studies are being performed.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Diabetes, Obesity, Chronic kidney disease, Genetic epidemiology, Admixture mapping

2000 Michaela Modan Award (American Diabetes Association)

1999 Jean Comb Award (JHBSPH)

1998 Induction to Delta Omega Honorary Society (JHBSPH)

1997 Jean Comb Award (JHBSPH)

1997 Delta Omega Honorary Society Alpha Chapter Poster Competition-first prize

Cheng CY, Kao WHL, Patterson N, Tandon A, Haiman CA, Harris TB, Xing C, John EM, Ambrosone CB, Brancati FL, Coresh J, Press MF, Parekh RS, Klag MJ, Meoni LA, Hsueh WC, Fejerman L, Pawlikowska L, Freedman ML, Jandorf LH, Bandera EV, Ciupak GL, Nalls MA, Akylbekova EL, Orwoll ES, Leak TS, Miljkovic I, Li R, Ursin G, Bernstein L, Ardlie K, Taylor HA, Boerwinckle E, Zmuda JM, Henderson BE, Wilson JG, Reich D. Admixture mapping of 15,280 African Americans identifies obesity susceptibility Loci on chromosomes 5 and X. PLoS Genet. 2009 May;5(5):e1000490. Epub 2009 May 22.

Köttgen A, Glazer NL, Dehghan A, Hwang SJ, Katz R, Li M, Yang Q, Gudnason V, Launer LJ, Harris TB, Smith AV, Arking DE, Astor BC, Boerwinkle E, Ehret GB, Ruczinski I, Scharpf RB, Ida Chen YD, de Boer IH, Haritunians T, Lumley T, Sarnak M, Siscovick D, Benjamin EJ, Levy D, Upadhyay A, Aulchenko YS, Hofman A, Rivadeneira F, Uitterlinden AG, van Duijn CM, Chasman DI, Paré G, Ridker PM, Kao WHL, Witteman JC, Coresh J, Shlipak MG, Fox CS. Multiple loci associated with indices of renal function and chronic kidney disease. Nat Genet. 2009 May 10. [Epub ahead of print]

Kao WHL‡ Arking DE‡, PhD, Post W‡,Rea T, Sotoodehnia N, Prineas RJ, Bishe B, Doan B, Boerwinkle E, Psaty BM, Tomaselli G, Coresh J, Siscovick DS, Márban E, Spooner PM, Burke G, Chakravarti A. Genetic Variations in NOS1AP Predict Sudden Cardiac Death in the General U.S. Population. Circulation. 2009 Feb 24; 119(7): 940-51. Epub 2009 Feb 9.

Post W, Shen H, Damcott C, Arking DE, Kao WHL, Sack PA, Ryan KA, Chakravarti A, Mitchell BD, Shuldiner AR. Associations between Genetic Variants in the NOS1AP (CAPON) Gene and Cardiac Repolarization in the Old Order Amish. Hum Hered. 2007;64(4):214-9. Epub 2007 Jun 12.

Kao WHL‡, Klag MJ‡, Meoni LA, Reich D, Berthier-Schaad Y, Li M, Coresh J, Patterson N, Tandon A, Powe NR, Fink NE, Sadler JH, Weir MR, Abboud HE, Adler SG, Divers J, Iyengar SK, Freedman BI, Kimmel PL, Knowler WC, Kohn OF, Kramp K, Leehey DJ, Nicholas SB, Pahl MV, Schelling JR, Sedor JR, Thornley-Brown D, Winkler CA, Smith MW, Parekh RS; on behalf of the Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND) Research Group. MYH9 is associated with nondiabetic end-stage renal disease in African Americans. Nat Genet. 2008 Sep 14. [Epub ahead of print]

Reich D, Nalls MA, Kao WHL, Akylbekova EL, Tandon A, Patterson N, Mullikin J, Hsueh WC, Cheng CY, Coresh J, Boerwinkle E, Li M, Waliszewska A, Neubauer J, Li R, Leak TS, Ekunwe L, Files JC, Hardy CL, Zmuda JM, Taylor HA, Ziv E, Harris TB, Wilson JG. Reduced neutrophil count in people of African descent is due to a regulatory variant in the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines gene. PLoS Genet. 2009 Jan;5(1):e1000360. Epub 2009 Jan 30.

Parekh RS, Plantinga LC, Kao WHL, Meoni LA, Jaar BG, Fink NE, Powe NR, Coresh J, Klag MJ. The association of sudden cardiac death with inflammation and other traditional risk factors. Kidney Int 2008 Sep 3. [Epub ahead of print].

Kottgen A*, Hwang SJ, Rampersaud E, Coresh J, North KE, Pankow JS, Meigs JB, Florez JC, Parsa A, Levy D, Boerwinkle E, Shuldiner AR, Fox CS, Kao WHL. Variants in the TCF7L2 Gene Region are Associated with Kidney Disease and Markers of Kidney Function in Three Population-based Studies. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008 Jul 23. [Epub ahead of print]

Iyengar SK, Abboud HE, Goddard KA, Saad MF, Adler SG, Arar NH, Bowden DW, Duggirala R, Elston RC, Hanson RL, Ipp E, Kao WHL, Kimmel PL, Klag MJ, Knowler WC, Meoni LA, Nelson RG, Nicholas SB, Pahl MV, Parekh RS, Quade SR, Rich SS, Rotter JI, Scavini M, Schelling JR, Sedor JR, Sehgal AR, Shah VO, Smith MW, Taylor KD, Winkler CA, Zager PG, Freedman BI; Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes Research Group. Genome-wide scans for diabetic nephropathy and albuminuria in multiethnic populations: the family investigation of nephropathy and diabetes (FIND). Diabetes. 2007 Jun;56(6):1577-85. Epub 2007 Mar 15.

Arking DE, Pfeufer A, Post W, Kao WH, Newton-Cheh C, Ikeda M, West K, Kashuk C, Akyol M, Perz S, Jalilzadeh S, Illig T, Gieger C, Guo CY, Larson MG, Wichmann HE, Marban E, O'donnell CJ, Hirschhorn JN, Kaab S, Spooner PM, Meitinger T, Chakravarti A. A common genetic variant in the NOS1 regulator NOS1AP modulates cardiac repolarization. Nat Genet. 2006 Apr 30.

Hsu CC, Bray MS, Kao WHL, Pankow JS, Boerwinkle E, Coresh J. Genetic variation of the renin-angiotensin system and chronic kidney disease progression in African-Americans in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. J. American Soc. of Neph. 2006; 17(2): 504-12.

Kao WHL, Hsueh WC, Rainwater DL, O’Leary DH, Imumorin IG, Stern MP, Mitchell BD. Family history of type 2 diabetes is associated with increased carotid artery intimal-medial thickness in Mexican Americans. Diabetes Care 2005; 28(8): 1882-9.

Hsu CC, Kao WHL, Coresh J, Pankow J, Marsh J, Boerwinkle E, Bray MS. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Progression in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. JAMA 2005; 293(23):2892-2899.

Liu X, Fallin MD, Kao WHL. Genetic dissetion methods: designs used for tests of gene-environment interaction. Curr Opin in Gen and Dev. 2004 June.

The Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes Research Group. Genetic determinants of diabetic nephropathy: The family investigation of nephropathy and diabetes (FIND). J Am Soc Nephrol. 2003; 14(7 Suppl 2):S202-4.

Kao WHL, Kammerer CM, Schneider JL, Bauer RL, Mitchell BD. Type 2 diabetes is associated with bone mineral density in Mexican American women. Archives of Medical Research 2003; 34(5):399-406.

Kao WHL, Coresh J, Shuldiner AR, Boerwinkle E, Brancati FL. Pro12Ala of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-?2 gene is associated with lower serum insulin levels in non-obese African-Americans: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Diabetes 2003; 52(6):1568-72.

Cappola TP, Felker GM, Kao WHL, Hare JM, Baughman KL, Kasper EK. Pulmonary hypertension and risk of death in cardiomyopathy: patients with myocarditis are at higher risk. Circulation 2002;105(14):1663-8.

Garant M, Kao WHL, Brancati FL, Coresh J, Rami TM, Hanis C, Boerwinkle E, Shuldiner A. SNP43 of calcium-activated neutral protease (CAPN10) is associated with type 2 diabetes in African Americans: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Diabetes 2002; 51(1):231-7.

Kao WHL, Puddey IB, Boland LL, Watson RL, Brancati FL. Gender differences in the association of alcohol consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2001; 154(8):748-57.

Shuldiner AR, Nguyen W, Kao WHL, Beamer BA, Andersen RE, Pratley R, Brancati FL. Pro115Gln Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor-gamma (Pro115Gln PPARg) and Obesity. Diabetes Care 2000; 23:126.

Brancati FL, Kao WHL, Szklo M, Folsom AR, Watson RL. Race, parity, and gestational diabetes as risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus. JAMA 2000; 284(18):2318-9.

Brancati FL, Kao WHL, Folsom A, Watson R, Szklo M. Incident type 2 diabetes mellitus in a community-based biracial cohort: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. JAMA 2000; 283:2253-2259.

Hill S, Peart C, Kao WHL, Brancati FL. Perioperative glycemic control and the risk of infectious complications: a prospective cohort study. Diabetes Care 1999; 22:1408–1414.

Kao WHL, Folsom A, Nieto FJ, Mo JP, Watson R, Brancati FL. Serum and dietary magnesium concentration and the risk of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Arch of Intern Med. 1999; 159:2151-2159.