Complexity in polypharmacy - A data-driven study of genetics, drug interactions and patient outcomes

PhD defence by Alexander Pil Henriksen

Assessment Committee

Associate professor Alexander Sebastian Hauser, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Associate professor Christiane Gasse, Aarhus University
Professor Kristina Johnell, Karolinska Institutet

Supervisors

Professor Søren Brunak
Visiting Professor Karina Banasik

Department

Department of Public Health

Graduate Programme

Biostatistics and Bioinformatics

Place

Building: 13, Room: Jerne Auditorium, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 København

Email address to gain access to the thesis: alexander.henriksen@cpr.ku.dk.
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Short description of the thesis

Globally, patients are taking more drugs and patients are taking more drugs at the same time. This phenomenon - known as polypharmacy - is becoming increasingly prevalent in high-income countries and among certain patient groups such as the elderly and those with many comorbidities. As more patients are treated with polypharmacy it becomes increasingly important to understand when, how, and why the drugs may interact with each other and with patient genetics. Alexander presents three original manuscripts that explore these questions through comprehensive, population-level studies of drug and gene interactions. The presentation will shed light on some of the complexities of current pharmacotherapy and polypharmacy in particular.