HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 21 July 2022 – Is there such a thing as a natural-born leader? A new study sheds light on the genetic influences on leadership and found a surprising connection with bipolar disorder and alcohol consumption.

Individuals in leadership positions are more likely to have certain genes — and not all of them are good. An increased tendency to drink alcohol — which has been shown to cause cancer — and an increased risk of bipolar disorder are among the negative health indicators associated with leaders, according to findings from a new study.

Identifying these specific genes helps us understand how our biology influences occupational health and well-being, and specifically, how that plays out among people in leadership positions.

“Our findings provide insights into the heredity of leadership positions and also the shared genetic underpinnings between the leadership position itself and one’s general health,” says Li Wendong, Associate Professor at Department of Management at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, and a co-author of the study.

“Our research continues the biological story of leadership. Since the late 1980s, studies using twins have shown that differences in people’s genetic make-up account for 30 percent of differences in whether they hold leadership roles. Now we have gone a step further in and conducted genomic studies using a vast database to identify genes related to leadership,” adds Prof Li, who notes that the study has implications for leaders and prospective leaders in managing their health and well-being for their long-term career development.

“A significant reason why our findings matter is that leaders’ well-being affects their behaviours, which may influence the performance and well-being of their subordinates, teams, and organisations. The implications arising from a leader’s health can be vast,” he says.

Diving Deeper Beyond Twin Studies

The research team, which were led by of Prof. Li, Prof. Song Zhaoli at the National University of Singapore and Prof. Fan Qiao at Duke-NUS Medical School, conducted the study using data from the U.K. Biobank, the largest public genetic and health database in the world. Researchers extracted genetic and occupational information of over 240,000 individuals of European ancestry. They also tapped on the U.K. Standard Occupation Classification and U.S. Occupational Information Network for information related to leadership roles and managing demands.

Leadership has been an important and classic topic in genetic research since the early 19th century, when modern human genetics was first formed as a scientific field.

Modern genetics research on leadership appeared much later using the classic twin approach. Twin studies are studies conducted on identical or fraternal twins. They aim to reveal the relative importance of environmental and genetic influences. Twin research is considered a key tool in behavioural genetics and in content fields, from biology to psychology.

The new study, titled Genetics, leadership position, and well-being: An Investigation with a large-scale GWAS, furthered previous areas of inquiry by providing results from a whole-genome exploration of leadership. It unraveled genetic correlations between leadership and known measures of well-being and health. The study also considered other socioeconomic measures such as income and education so that what was revealed was a truer picture of leaders’ genetic profiles.

Watch Out at the Top

The study brought to light possible unique genetic associations between well-being and leadership. It found that genetic influences associated with leadership position may be detrimental to well-being. This is in contrast to previous research that showed a positive correlation between leadership and general health and well-being indicators and revealed a fundamental reason why holding a leadership position is not always beneficial to one’s health and well-being.

After adjusting for the effects of income and education, holding leadership positions was genetically linked to a higher Body Mass Index, an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, and further reduced longevity.

“The high psychological demands embedded in holding leadership positions — chronic stressors — might play a role because they stimulate psycho-biological stress responses, including changes in fat metabolism and cardiovascular function, which are detrimental to health in the long run.” says Prof. Li.

In other words, leaders may be genetically pre-disposed to develop the above stress-induced diseases and conditions, but the stress involved in being a leader can trigger or exacerbate such an impact.

One of the most relevant and surprising genetic markers this study found to be associated with leadership is the genetic variant linked to an increased risk of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

“While those with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia may have some advantages to become leaders, we are the first to find genetic variants linked to both leadership and bipolar disorder and schizophrenia,” says Prof. Li.

Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that can cause mood swings of various severity, ranging from emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). While most people diagnosed with bipolar disorder will experience some emotional symptoms between episodes, some may not experience any.

Prior research on bipolar disorder concludes that it is a mixed blessing in leaders. On the one hand, leadership studies found bipolar disorder to be linked to positive traits of high intelligence, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Other research shows it can negatively affect one’s job performance.

Also observed in the study is a genetic connection between leadership and an increase in alcohol consumption — an unhealthy behaviour that has been shown to cause cancer.

Personal Traits Count

Aside from strictly genetic considerations, the research team tested genetic correlations between leadership position and a set of observable personal traits that are traditionally related to leadership: intelligence, risk tolerance, and height. The results suggested that the genes that are believed to drive leadership may also be related to these traits. In finding links between the traits and underlying genes in leaders, researchers think it is possible that these genes may carry genetic influences on leadership through many of these personal traits.

While genetic research into the role of leadership is in its infancy, the new study is an important step forward and is likely to shed light on the direction and scope of future studies in the field. “While certain genes can play a role in whether an individual turns out to be a leader or not, they may not end up expressing themselves. At the very least, they are not a determining factor in shaping the well-being of a leader. Behaviour and lifestyle can influence the expression of genes and improve the chances of good health in leaders. And good health is always an important asset to any organisation, no matter where leadership resides,” Prof. Li adds.

Reference:
Zhaoli Song, Wen-Dong Li, Xuye Jin, Junbiao Ying, Xin Zhang, Ying Song, Hengtong Li, and Qiao Fan, Genetics, leadership position, and well-being: An investigation with a large-scale GWAS (March 14, 2022). Available at https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2114271119.

This article was first published in the China Business Knowledge (CBK) website by CUHK Business School: https://bit.ly/3PsquqY

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About CUHK Business School

CUHK Business School comprises two schools – Accountancy and Hotel and Tourism Management – and four departments – Decision Sciences and Managerial Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing. Established in Hong Kong in 1963, it is the first business school to offer BBA, MBA and Executive MBA programmes in the region. Today, CUHK Business School offers 10 undergraduate programmes and 20 graduate programmes including MBA, EMBA, Master, MSc, MPhil and Ph.D. The School currently has more than 4,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students from 20+ countries/regions.

In the Financial Times Executive MBA ranking 2021, CUHK EMBA is ranked 19^th in the world. In FT‘s 2022 Global MBA Ranking, CUHK MBA is ranked 50^th. CUHK Business School has the largest number of business alumni (40,000+) among universities/business schools in Hong Kong – many of whom are key business leaders.

More information is available at http://www.bschool.cuhk.edu.hk or by connecting with CUHK Business School on:
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TOKYO, JAPAN – News Direct – 21 July 2022 – CoorsTek KK (Tokyo, Japan) announced today that its parent company, CoorsTek, Inc.’s board of directors has approved a capital expenditure plan to expand the company’s semiconductor ceramics business in response to strong market demand.

The company will invest to add additional semiconductor ceramics manufacturing capabilities at existing facilities, mainly in Oguni town, Yamagata prefecture and Kawatana town, Nagasaki prefecture in Japan. Start-up for this additional capacity is planned in 2024.

For a large-scale production increase including this investment, CoorsTek expects to hire about 300 additional employees mainly at its facilities in Oguni town and Kawatana town by the end of Q1 2023.

“Our Japan manufacturing facilities play a critical role in driving growth for the company in Asia and in delivering high quality materials for the semiconductor market,” said Jonathan Coors, CEO, CoorsTek, Inc. and President, CoorsTek K.K. “CoorsTek will be well positioned to grow with the semiconductor market through these capacity expansions, and this investment underscores our long-term commitment to Japan.”
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About CoorsTek

Founded in 1910, CoorsTek is a leading global manufacturer of technical ceramics. By leveraging expertise in engineering and materials science, CoorsTek provides solutions to complex technical challenges in the semiconductor, medical, automotive, aerospace, and other industries. With over 400 proprietary formulations, vertically integrated systems, and unparalleled process capabilities, CoorsTek partners with its customers to make the world measurably better. For more information about our products and services visit www.coorstek.com.

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, BRUNEI – Media OutReach – 20 July 2022 – EVYD Technology and Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today for joint research; training; and to increase the university’s international exposure and recognition in the fields of research, education and in training programs of mutual interest.

The MOU will run for an initial five years, with an option to extend for another five years. It was signed by Mr Chua Ming Jie, CEO of EVYD Technology, and Dr Hazri bin Haji Kifle, Vice Chancellor of UBD.

Under the MOU, EVYD Technology and UBD will explore collaborative research and studies in fields of mutual interest, leveraging EVYD Technology’s proven solutions powered by artificial intelligence and big data and its experience optimizing healthcare systems for countries and companies as well as personalized health management for individuals.

For instance, EVYD Technology and UBD are currently working with the Ministry of Health, Brunei on a joint study of adverse events arising from COVID-19 vaccination. The two MOU partners are also undertaking a research study with the ministry and Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. This study involves the cPass Neutralization Antibody Detection Kit, which measures the real-world evidence of different COVID-19 vaccines in generating neutralizing antibodies against the virus. The results of the study will allow the ministry to assess the immunogenicity of the different vaccines used in the country, as well as inform policy decision-making for any booster program and risk stratified COVID-19 management. The second phase is a longitudinal study where participants from the first phase of the study will be followed up at different timelines within 12 months of vaccination, regardless of their history of COVID-19 infection after vaccination.

Beyond this, EVYD Technology and UBD are also working with the Ministry of Health on a microbiome study involving the same participants from the cPass study. The research will study how the microbiome profile of an individual affects the immunogenicity of different COVID-19 vaccines. It involves the collection of stool samples of participants after COVID-19 vaccination or infection for analysis of their gut microbiome profile, and correlation with their neutralizing antibodies.

Today’s MOU also provides for industrial attachments and training stints for UBD students and staff with EVYD Technology and its affiliated companies. The scope may include study visits, field work, discussions, seminars, work attachments and training courses. EVYD Technology may also send its staff to conduct lectures at UBD to educate and equip the students with relevant skills, as well as share their experiences.

Mr Chua Ming Jie, CEO of EVYD Technology, said: “We are pleased to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with Universiti Brunei Darussalam, and it is the latest initiative to reinforce our strong relationship. We have already been working with the university on several projects, as well as recruited its graduates.”

“This agreement is a further testament to our commitment to develop the talent pool, research capacity and healthcare ecosystem in Brunei. It ties in squarely with our philosophy on engaging the research community and the many other stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem. Research is the core element that drives the insights and knowledge to power our solutions and enable our artificial intelligence and big data to deliver analyses for more informed decision-making.”

“This MOU will bring our partnership with Universiti Brunei Darussalam to the next level. We look forward to working further with them on research, education and training that will benefit the health of many people.”

“We are very pleased to sign this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with EVYD Technology,” UBD Vice Chancellor Dr Hazri bin Haji Kifle said. “This MOU reaffirms UBD’s pursuit of academic and research excellence through strategic university-industry partnership. It will undoubtedly pave the way for more joint research projects with national relevance that bring deep societal impact, as well as promote more staff and student exchange.”

He added, “Leveraging the expertise of EVYD Technology in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, our collaboration with EVYD will ensure our curriculum stays relevant and current in today’s ever-changing digital landscape, thus allowing us to produce industry-ready graduates.”

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About EVYD Technology

EVYD Technology is a healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data company with the mission to transform healthcare using data intelligence. Its solutions enable value-based healthcare that is safer, better and more accessible for global communities. It offers solutions to policymakers to enhance public health monitoring, generate insights for policymaking and implement initiatives such as value-based healthcare and population health management. It also offers solutions to the research community to enhance the efficiency and quality of their research, from which insights generated could be leveraged to benefit the broader ecosystem. The company’s flagship EVYDENCE operating platform aggregates raw data that reside in disparate information systems and convert them into computable, structured and standardised data so that they could be further processed to derive deep insights and knowledge using natural language processing, machine learning and other AI technologies. EVYD Technology is a Brunei Investment Agency investee company.

About Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Universiti Brunei Darussalam is one of the fastest growing young universities in the world. Located in the heart of Southeast Asia, UBD is a comprehensive university with a vibrant multicultural campus, an accessible, welcoming environment, a diverse student body and an emphasis on lifelong learning.

At UBD, we believe that empowering students in their education is vital to preparing them for a constantly changing world. UBD’s innovative GenNEXT curriculum balances student-centric flexibility with academic rigour and real-world experience. All UBD students are required to leave the university for a Discovery Year, a unique experiential component of our bold and innovative GenNEXT curriculum.

Leveraging on its niche position in Southeast Asia, UBD is a research intensive university. Established peaks of research excellence include Biodiversity, Energy, Asian Studies, Islamic Studies and Governance, Data Analytics, and Herbal and Medicinal research. UBD provides a conducive research environment for dynamic conversations for scholars who want to make real academic, social and economic impact.

Our focus on teaching and learning excellence and an innovative curriculum, our commitment to high impact academic and applied research, our emphasis on international partnerships, makes UBD an ideal base for researchers and students looking for a vibrant academic career.

For more information, visit
https://www.evydtech.com
https://www.ubd.edu.bn

ÅLAND ISLANDS, FINLAND – Media OutReach – 20 July 2022 – Galleri Skarpans, located in the idyllic Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland, presents an emotive exhibition of new oil paintings by renowned Australian artist, Danelle Bergstrom, with the largest paintings spanning almost 2 meters in width. This is the latest exhibition of Bergstrom in Finland and follows the unveiling of her portraits of the former Finnish president Tarja Halonen at the Åland Art Museum in 2021.

Curated by Leila Cromwell-Morgan Lönnroth, PARADIS is an exhibition about the fragility of our existence, through experiences and memories personified by nature. Lönnroth, explained that Bergstrom’s work conceptually represents nature as fundamental to the human existence on Earth and the exhibition aims to encourage the audience to re-examine the connection that exists between humans and nature. “We all create our own idea of paradise and it can be a precarious existence. It stresses the importance of living in harmony with mother nature, appreciating its diversity and challenges, and respecting her power and vulnerability” Bergstrom said.

The conception of Bergstrom’s series in 2019 coincided with the strongest ever recorded storm in Finland called “Alfrida” that swept across Åland. Inspired by the Åland people’s resilience to nature’s fury – a resilience repeated countless times across the planet as communities deal with extreme events – Bergstrom’s works evoke strong resonance among viewers who engage with the exhibition. Lönnroth has observed visitors to her gallery have been deeply moved by these images. “They connect within a deep place in our heart” she said.

Hashtag: #DanelleBergstrom

About Danelle Bergstrom:

Danelle Bergstrom (b. 1957) is an awarding winning visual artist based in Australia and Finland. Renowned for both portraits and landscape paintings, her work is represented in major Australian national and private collections. Her first major solo exhibition in Finland was at the Önningeby Museum in 2019.

Bergstrom has two upcoming exhibitions in Australia 2023, a new exhibition at the Arthouse Gallery, Sydney and a major retrospective at the Bathurst Regional Gallery in New South Wales, She has recently finished a commission for a stamp issues about UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage of Nordic clinker boats for Åland Post.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danelle_Bergstrom