Portrait of Liesel (Elizabeth) Gottschalk with her grandfather Adolf Molling; Germany.

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Portrait of siblings Hans Ludwig (Hal) and Elizabeth Gottschalk.

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New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10−8). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms.

Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology

Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P < 5 × 10−8), 56 of which are novel. Five loci demonstrate clear evidence of several independent association signals, and many loci have significant effects on other metabolic phenotypes. The 97 loci account for ~2.7% of BMI variation, and genome-wide estimates suggest that common variation accounts for >20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.

Genome-wide association meta-analysis identifies new endometriosis risk loci

We conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 4,604 endometriosis cases and 9,393 controls of Japanese and European ancestry. We show that rs12700667 on chromosome 7p15.2, previously found to associate with disease in Europeans, replicates in Japanese (P = 3.6 x 10(-3)), and we confirm association of rs7521902 at 1p36.12 near WNT4. In addition, we establish an association of rs13394619 in GREB1 at 2p25.1 with endometriosis and identify a newly associated locus at 12q22 near VEZT (rs10859871). Excluding cases of European ancestry of minimal or unknown severity, we identified additional previously unknown loci at 2p14 (rs4141819), 6p22.3 (rs7739264) and 9p21.3 (rs1537377). All seven SNP effects were replicated in an independent cohort and associated at P <5 x 10(-8) in a combined analysis. Finally, we found a significant overlap in polygenic risk for endometriosis between the genome-wide association cohorts of European and Japanese descent (P = 8.8 x 10(-11)), indicating that many weakly associated SNPs represent true endometriosis risk loci and that risk prediction and future targeted disease therapy may be transferred across these populations.

Elizabeth Engel nee Benjamin-Rasmussen in her home; Silver Springs, Maryland Portraits Women

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Elizabeth Engel nee Benjamin-Rasmussen with her daughter Dorel Hall nee Engel in Elizabeth's home; Silver Springs, Maryland Portraits Family

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Hans Krakauer and Elizabeth Krakauer nee Gottschalk; Boston, New York. Portraits Couples

Photograph taken in front of the house in Boston, in upstate New York outside of Buffalo, where in 1939 they set up their private medical practice. After WWII, they built a new house next door.

Wedding portrait of Hans Krakauer and Elizabeth Godshaw (Gottschalk); Hannover, Germany. Portraits Couples

In the apartment on Ruemkorffstrasse that the Gottschalks occupied after being forced to sell their house.

Elizabeth Krakauer nee Gottschalk seated in a Oberprima (high school) chemistry laboratory; Sophienschule; Hannover, Germany.

This picture was taken during her last year of high school. The chemistry teacher, Professor Schmigielski was one of Elizabeth's favorite teachers.

Portrait of Elizabeth Krakauer nee Gottschalk with pigtails; Hannover, Germany.

This portrait shows Elizabeth with pig tails. In a defiant mood, she cut them off.

Walter, Freddy, Kurt and Elizabeth Gottschalk with their mother Therese Gottschalk nee Molling, and the maid on an easter egg hunt; Hannover, Germany.

From left to right: Walter Gottschalk, Therese Gottschalk nee Molling, Freddy Gottschalk, the maid, Kurt Gottschalk, and Elizabeth Gottschalk

"Klo-Ku-Ba", Hans and Elizabeth Krakauer's first apartment in the basement of the Jewish Hospital; Hannover, Germany.

"Klo-Ku-Ba" the first apartment of Hans and Elizabeth in the basement of the Jewish Hospital in Hannover, Germany. The one room served as kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom which was shared by the other residents on the medical staff. Klo-Ku-Ba: Klosett, Kueche, Bad

Portrait of Elizabeth Krakauer nee Gottschalk with pigtails; Hannover, Germany.

This portrait shows Elizabeth with pig tails. In a defiant mood, she cut them off.

Portrait of the six Gottschalk children Walter, Ursula, Freddy, Hal, Elizabeth and Kurt in garden; Hannover, Germany. Portraits Children

Front row from left to right: Walter, Ursula, and Freddy; back row from left to right: Hal, Elizabeth, and Kurt Godshaw; picture was probably taken in their backyard on Seelhorststrasse in Hannover, Germany