Sufyan Suleman
Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University
Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher, NNF Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Aarhus, Denmark
Institutional email Aarhus University, Broad Institute
I am a computational biologist and geneticist studying how genetic variation contributes to differences in metabolic and psychiatric health. I began in biotechnology and molecular biology before moving into statistical genetics, where my doctoral work investigated the genetic architecture of insulin sensitivity and its links to type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. My current research examines the shared genetic architecture of obesity and psychiatric traits, with a focus on ADHD, using large population cohorts and methods including polygenic risk scores, Mendelian randomisation, PheWAS and integrative genomics.
Across this work I keep returning to one question. Why do people with apparently similar characteristics experience such different trajectories of health and disease? Statistical genetics is my way into that question, using genetics, clinical phenotypes and large-scale data to look at the biological variation hidden within population averages.
Education and affiliations
Current position
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University
Aarhus, Denmark · 2024-09 - Present
Shared genetic architecture and biological mechanisms of obesity and ADHD.
- GDPR data access applications for UK Biobank and Generation Scotland
Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher, NNF Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Cambridge, MA, USA · 2024-09 - Present
Education
PhD, Statistical Genetics / Genomic Physiology, Translational Metabolic Research
Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen · Copenhagen, Denmark · 2021-06 - 2024-11
Thesis: Genetics of insulin sensitivity and implications for T2D, obesity, and cardiovascular disease
MSc, Protein Science and Biotechnology (major: Biochemistry)
University of Oulu · Oulu, Finland · 2014 - 2017
Thesis: Functional annotation of prostate cancer risk variants identifies RGS17 as a disease susceptibility gene
BSc (Hons), Biotechnology
Govt. College University Lahore · Lahore, Pakistan · 2006 - 2010
Research experience
Visiting Researcher, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark · 2024-04 - 2024-05
PhD Researcher, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark · 2021-06 - 2024-11
Research Assistant, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark · 2019-09 - 2021-06
- GWAS of insulin resistance phenotypes
- Data preparation and QC pipelines on the Centre's HPC (Porus, later Esrum) and Computerome
Research Assistant, Wei lab (cancer functional genomics), Biocenter Oulu / Oulu University Hospital
Oulu, Finland · 2017-01 - 2019-08
- Prostate and breast cancer susceptibility locus functional genomics
Research Assistant, Vainio lab (developmental biology), Biocenter Oulu / Oulu University Hospital
Oulu, Finland · 2018-06 - 2019-08
- Regulatory genomics of type 1 diabetes and developmental biology
- Contributed to the lab's broader stem-cell and genome-editing biosensor research programme
Quality Control Officer, Popular Chemical Works Ltd
Lahore, Pakistan · 2010-09 - 2013-04
Teaching
- Integrative Post-GWAS Methods, Course developer and lead instructor · Aarhus University PhD catalogue · 2024-present
Registered PhD-catalogue course; coordinates contributing teachers and bioinformaticians
- Danish Diabetes Academy R courses, Teaching assistant · Danish Diabetes Academy · 2022
- Study Café sessions, Instructor · Aarhus University · 2024-present
Genetics sessions for 50-60 bachelor medical students per session
- Supervised 4 Bachelor (medicine) students, Aarhus University, 2024-present
Consortia
- MAGIC, Contributor (GWAS and meta-analysis, ~20,000-25,000 Danish participants) · 2021-2023
Published in Nature Genetics, 2023
- SpiroMeta, Contributor · 2023-2025
Age-stratified GWAS of lung function traits; 120 analyses across 5 age bands x 8 cohorts x 3 phenotypes; in preparation
Posters
- Unravelling the shared genetics and biological mechanisms of ADHD and obesity, ESHG Annual Meeting, 2025
- Heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations of surrogate measures of insulin sensitivity and their association with metabolic traits, Metabolism Day, University of Copenhagen, 2023
- Genetics of insulin sensitivity indices, DDA Summer School on Diabetes and Metabolism, 2022
- Shared genetics of ADHD and obesity, World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics, Glasgow, 2026 (upcoming)
Awards and memberships
- Competitive PhD Fellowship, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, co-funded by DFF, 2021-2024
- Co-applicant on a granted research project, Danish Independent Research Fund (DFF), 2021-2024
- European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG), since 2023
- International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG), since 2026
Certifications and training
- GDPR and UK Biobank Data Protection (4 modules), UK Biobank, 2026
- Good Clinical Practice (GCP), NIDA Clinical Trials Network, 2026
- GDPR and Data Protection Rules, Aarhus University, 2025
- GDPR and Research Data Management, University of Copenhagen, 2024
- Using Animals in Research - Carrying out procedures, European directive for animal handling, 2015
- Postdoctoral Leadership, Management and Personal Development, Danish Cardiovascular Academy, 2026
- Basal Cardio-Metabolic PhD Course, Danish Cardiovascular / Diabetes Academy, 2022
- Basic Statistics for PhD Students, University of Copenhagen, 2022
- DDA Summer School on Diabetes and Metabolism, Danish Diabetes Academy, 2022
- Introduction to Statistical Analysis of GWAS, University of Surrey / ESHG, 2022
- Reproducible Research in R - Advanced Workshop, Danish Diabetes Academy, 2022
- Computational Systems Biology for Complex Human Disease, Wellcome Connecting Science, 2021
- Git and GitHub for Researchers, University of Copenhagen, 2021
- Intermediate R course, Danish Diabetes Academy, 2021
- Python Tsunami - Introduction to Python Programming, University of Copenhagen, 2021
Skills
Programming
Genetics tools
Statistics
Data resources
Infrastructure
Laboratory
Languages
Contact
Reach out about collaborations, research tools, or courses.
How I can help
Support with the tools
Applying HealthMarkers, InsuSensCalc or IsletCalc to your cohort, adapting indices, or building a reproducible pipeline around them.
Ask about supportCourses on demand
R, statistics, CDISC and post-GWAS methods for research groups, departments and companies, on site or online.
Ask about a courseResearch collaboration
Genetics of metabolic and psychiatric traits, polygenic scores, biomarker studies.
Propose a collaboration