About the UW Twin Registry
The University of Washington (UW) Twin Registry is a newly established database, supported by the National Institutes of Health, to help scientists better understand what makes people healthy as well as what causes disease. Information is collected from participants in order to learn more about health and illness.
Since some health conditions are rare in the community, a large number of twin pairs are necessary to conduct health research. A number of countries around the world, including Australia, Belgium, England, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States, have created large databases of twins. These registries have been used to uncover clues to the origins of many diseases such as depression, alcoholism, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Surprisingly, however, there is only a handful of twin registries in the United States. This has made it difficult for scientists here to conduct important twin research.
The University of Washington Twin Registry is unique for two reasons. First, we invite twin pairs who live in Washington State to participate as well as twins from other parts of the United States and the world. Thus, the Registry has the potential to involve thousands of twins. Second, the University of Washington Twin Registry is drawn from the community at large and not just from clinics or hospitals where most research is done. Therefore, the Registry will be an invaluable scientific resource that will ultimately help to reduce the burden of illness in the population as a whole.
Why are twins special?
Heredity and environment play an important role in determining health, illness, and behavior. For nearly a century, twins have played a vital role in understanding the effects of heredity and environment.
Since identical twins share all of the same genetic material (DNA), while non-identical (fraternal) twins share only half of their genes, comparing twins’ differences and similarities is a powerful way to determine the causes of health, illness, and behavior.
Twins are unique in unraveling the mystery of how nature and nurture interact. This understanding is important for the best possible prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and conditions for all people.