Maykel López Rodriques
Senior Researcher
Doctor of Philosophy
A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences
Human diseases are influenced by our genetic background. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed that many genetic variants are associated with increased risk for diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and coronary artery diseases (CAD). However, for the vast majority of these variants we are still lacking a complete understanding of the functional mechanisms underlying their associations.
In my project I am studying the molecular mechanism by which certain genes and variants contribute to the susceptibility and progression of metabolic diseases. I aim to integrate genetic signals into coherent functional pathways that explain a bigger fraction of the genetic background of T2D, obesity and CAD. Understanding the functional outcomes of our genetic signature could help in the implementation of genotype-specific diagnostic and patient management, as well as to develop more precise therapeutic approaches in the future.
Publications
9/9 items-
Exploring the genetic basis of coronary artery disease using functional genomics
López Rodríguez, Maykel; Arasu, Uma Thanigai; Kaikkonen, Minna U, 2023, Atherosclerosis, 374, 87-98. A2 Review article, Literature review, Systematic review -
Elevated circulating follistatin associates with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes
Wu, CY; Borné, Y; Gao, R; Rodriguez, ML; Roell, WC; Wilson, JM; Regmi, A; Luan, C; Aly, DM; Peter, A; Machann, J; Staiger, H; Fritsche, A; Birkenfeld, AL; Tao, R; Wagner, R; Canouil, M; Hong, MG; Schwenk, JM [incl. Laakso, M], 2021, Nature communications, 12, 6486. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Integrative analysis of liver-specific non-coding regulatory SNPs associated with the risk of coronary artery disease
Selvarajan, Ilakya; Toropainen, Anu; Garske, Kristina M.; López Rodríguez, Maykel; Ko, Arthur; Miao, Zong; Kaminska, Dorota; Õunap, Kadri; Örd, Tiit; Ravindran, Aarthi; Liu, Oscar H.; Moreau, Pierre R.; Jawahar Deen, Ashik; Männistö, Ville; Pan, Calvin; Levonen, Anna-Liisa; Lusis, Aldons J.; Heikkinen, Sami; Romanoski, Casey E.; Pihlajamäki, Jussi; Pajukanta, Päivi; Kaikkonen, Minna U., 2021, American journal of human genetics, 108, 3, 411-430. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Reduction in Epigenetic Age Acceleration Is Related to Empathy in Mothers with Neglectful Caregiving
Herrero-Roldán, Silvia; Rodrigo, María José; Hernández-Cabrera, Juan A.; Mitchell, Colter; López, Maykel; Alcoba-Florez, Julia; Fisher, Jonah; Espinosa, Fernanda; León, Inmaculada, 2021, Brain sciences, 11, 11, 1376. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Systems Genetics in Human Endothelial Cells Identifies Non-coding Variants Modifying Enhancers, Expression, and Complex Disease Traits
Stolze, Lindsey; Conklin, Austin; Whalen, Michael; López Rodríguez, Maykel; Õunap, Kadri; Selvarajan, Ilakya; Toropainen, Anu; Örd, Tiit; Li, Jin; Eshghi, Anna; Solomon, Alice; Fang, Yun; Kaikkonen, Minna; Romanoski, Casey, 2020, American journal of human genetics, 106, 6, P748-763. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Functional characterization of a type 2 diabetes risk locus in the glucokinase regulator gene
López Rodríguez, Maykel, 2019, Publications of the University of Eastern Finland. Dissertations in Health Sciences. G5 Doctoral dissertation (article) -
Functional Variant in the GCKR Gene Affects Lactate Levels Differentially in the Fasting State and During Hyperglycemia
López Rodríguez, Maykel; Fernandes Silva, Lilian; Vangipurapu, Jagadish; Modi, Shalem; Kuusisto, Johanna; Kaikkonen, Minna U; Laakso, Markku, 2018, Scientific reports, 8, 1, 15989. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Identification and characterization of a FOXA2-regulated transcriptional enhancer at a type 2 diabetes intronic locus that controls GCKR expression in liver cells
López Rodríguez M, Kaminska D, Lappalainen K, Pihlajamäki J, Kaikkonen MU, Laakso M, 2017, Genome medicine, 9, 63. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research -
Simvastatin Impairs Insulin Secretion by Multiple Mechanisms in MIN6 Cells
Yaluri Nagendra, Modi Shalem, López Rodríguez Maykel, Stancáková Alena, Kuusisto Johanna, Kokkola Tarja, Laakso Markku, 2015, PLoS ONE, 10, 11, e0142902. A1 Journal article (refereed), original research