The project concerns the study of genetic susceptibility to Multiple Sclerosis through the integrated analysis of genetic data (ie, genotyping) obtained from Sardinian families affected by the disease and 

1. A) gene expression data in the brain obtained from the UKBEC database and 
2. B) proteins obtained in Sardinian families affected by the disease. 

The purpose of the analysis will be to identify gene expressions (A) and proteins (B) causal for the disease through the application of an innovative statistical approach such as Mendelian Randomization in both frequentist and Bayesian settings. 

The project involves the use of genome browsers, statistical software R and rStan. The candidate must have a good knowledge of statistics and English (written) and a preliminary knowledge (also at a basic level) of the software listed above. This project provides sufficient material to carry out two different theses.