ReGeneration Scotland

We are inviting eligible volunteers to take part in an exciting new study that is part of the Generation Scotland project. ReGeneration Scotland: Revisiting health and genetics to assess change in biological health.

If you are eligible for the study we will ask you to provide a saliva sample so we can see how things may have changed since you last provided a sample to Generation Scotland. You will then be asked to answer a few questions about your current health and wellbeing. There is no need for a clinic visit – everything is done online and through the post. This study will only be available for volunteers aged 16+ who have previously provided a sample.

As we age, we naturally experience physical changes and shifts in our lifestyle. We may develop new health conditions, take new medications and make lifestyle changes in smoking, alcohol consumption, diet and exercise. Although our underlying DNA stays the same throughout our life, chemical changes, such as DNA methylation, can occur over time. These changes affect how genes are expressed and can have a potential impact on our health. 

Methylation diagram

Importantly, these methylation patterns can also be influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors. To measure the impact of these factors we need to look at repeat samples over time. The ReGeneration Scotland study aims to understand the interaction of lifestyle factors and methylation patterns and how this affects our health as we age. 

We are one of the first studies to work on saliva-based DNA methylation in relation to changes in lifestyle and disease risk – so your contribution will be an important part of exciting new research. This study will help researchers to understand how lifestyle impacts our health and help us predict how methylation changes relate to the risk of developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes. 

Taking part is completely voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time. If you have any questions about the study please email us at genscot@ed.ac.uk or call us on 0131 651 8718.

Sample Kit letter (348.07 KB / DOCX)

Providing Your Saliva Sample

Not sure how to provide your saliva (spit) sample? This step-by-step guide will walk you through how to provide your sample using our kit that will be posted to your home.

Contact Us

Generation Scotland can be contacted by email, phone, or through social media.

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