Starling Genomics | Polygenic Risk Scores for European Healthcare

About Starling Genomics

Starling Genomics is a European genomics company building validated polygenic risk score (PRS) infrastructure for clinical deployment. The current focus is practical implementation with early partner organizations, starting in the Netherlands and expanding to Germany and Switzerland.

Team

Starling Genomics is led by founders with complementary experience in genomics, healthcare systems, and clinical implementation. The team is supported by senior advisory input and multidisciplinary execution across product, partnerships, and operations.

John

Founder · Commercial & Sales

John leads partnerships and market development, translating clinical value into practical collaborations with providers, labs, and healthcare organizations.

Fabio

Founder · Medical & Technology

Fabio connects medical context with technical delivery, guiding product direction across clinical relevance, implementation choices, and platform architecture.

Marcel

Founder · Finance & Strategy

Marcel leads financial planning and strategic structuring, ensuring sustainable growth while aligning investment, operations, and long-term execution.

Peter

Advisor · Clinical Governance

Peter supports clinical governance and evidence positioning, helping maintain scientific rigor and practical fit for healthcare decision-making.

Lars Meijer

Program Lead · Clinical Operations

Lars coordinates implementation tracks and partner onboarding, with focus on predictable delivery and operational quality across sites.

Eva de Jong

Lead Scientist · Genomic Analytics

Eva drives model validation and data interpretation, turning genomic outputs into clinically interpretable insights for real-world use.

Noah Bakker

Engineering Lead · Platform

Noah leads platform engineering, focusing on secure workflows, interoperability, and reliable infrastructure for healthcare integrations.

Sanne Vermeer

Partnerships Manager · Healthcare

Sanne works with providers and clinical teams to shape pilot scopes, align stakeholder expectations, and support adoption in routine care.

Scientific Foundation

Starling Genomics incorporates polygenic risk score models developed by Genomics plc (Oxford, UK). A substantial subset of these models originates from the UK Biobank PRS Release, which has been systematically evaluated and described by Thompson et al. (2024).

The UK Biobank PRS Release comprises polygenic risk score models covering 28 diseases and 25 quantitative traits and represents one of the most comprehensively benchmarked PRS resources available through UK Biobank research access.

Validation Evidence

Thompson et al. (2024) reported the following validation characteristics for the UK Biobank PRS Release:

Algorithm Benchmarking

Performance benchmarking against 76 previously published PRS algorithms demonstrated superior performance across multiple disease and quantitative traits in European ancestry populations.

Independent Cohort Validation

External validation in the 100,000 Genomes Project (Genomics England) demonstrated high concordance of effect estimates between cohorts (Pearson r ≈ 0.96 for log odds ratio per standard deviation in European ancestry populations).

Ancestry-Specific Evaluation

Predictive performance was assessed across European, South Asian, East Asian, and African ancestry groups, with quantified differences in effect sizes across populations.

Portfolio Context

The broader Genomics PRS portfolio spans additional diseases and quantitative traits across cardiovascular, oncological, metabolic, neurological, inflammatory, and ophthalmological domains.

Clinical Positioning

Polygenic risk scores provide probabilistic risk stratification based on common genetic variation and are not diagnostic tests. Starling Genomics implements these models within a defined clinical framework appropriate to the European healthcare context, with a structured development pathway toward IVDR conformity.

Looking for a deeper literature review across disease domains and traits? Read our Research & Background overview.

From Genetic Data to Quantified Risk

The platform is designed around a structured five-stage workflow, built for clinical traceability and operational deployment in healthcare environments.

Step 1 Test kit distribution and guided sample collection.
Step 2 Laboratory analysis and genotyping under controlled quality standards.
Step 3 Polygenic risk score calculation using validated computational models.
Step 4 Risk estimation and structured reporting suitable for clinical interpretation.
Step 5 Integration into healthcare workflows, calculators, and care pathways.

Scalable PRS Engine Architecture

Starling Genomics provides a deployment-oriented architecture for healthcare institutions that require reproducibility, data security, and interoperability.

Regional Deployment

Built for national and regional implementation models across European care systems.

End-to-End Chain

Operational flow from kit logistics and genotyping to clinical report delivery.

Validated Models

Risk engines calibrated against large-scale biobank validation datasets.

Modular Portfolio

Clinical domains can be phased per market, partner type, and intended use.

Interoperability

Integration-ready outputs for calculators, structured reports, and pathway tools.

IVDR Development Path

Roadmap aligned with IVDR compliance requirements for European markets.

Implementation Focus

The platform is designed for institutional adoption with transparency and auditability at its core: interpretable score logic, structured reporting pipelines, and governance controls aligned with GDPR and applicable IVD regulations.

The intended operational model covers the full chain from sample collection and laboratory analysis to structured clinical risk reporting, enabling phased integration into existing care pathways.

Polygenic Risk Score Portfolio

The portfolio is organized by clinical domain to support phased deployment, evidence review, and country-specific implementation planning.

Disease Domains

Bone Health

Osteoporosis

Cardiometabolic

Atrial fibrillation
Cardiovascular disease
Hypertension
Type 2 diabetes
Chronic kidney disease
Coronary artery disease
Familial hypercholesterolemia
Ischemic stroke
Type 1 diabetes
Venous thromboembolism

Gastroenterology

Crohn's disease
Ulcerative colitis

Immunology & Inflammation

Asthma
Coeliac disease
Psoriasis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Systemic lupus erythematosus

Oncology

Breast cancer
Prostate cancer
Bowel cancer
Epithelial ovarian cancer
HBOC
Lynch syndrome
Melanoma
Ovarian cancer

Ophthalmology

Age-related macular degeneration
Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG)

Neurology & Psychiatry

Alzheimer's disease
Bipolar disease
Depression
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson's disease
Schizophrenia

Quantitative Traits

Anthropometric Traits

Height
Body mass index (BMI)

Bone Health

Bone mineral density (BMD)
Calcium

Cardiovascular Traits

C-reactive protein (CRP)
Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)
Systolic blood pressure
Diastolic blood pressure
Resting heart rate

Fatty Acids & Metabolites

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-6 fatty acids
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
Phosphatidylcholines
Phosphoglycerides
Sphingomyelins
Total fatty acids

Lipid Traits

LDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol
Total cholesterol
Remnant cholesterol
Total triglycerides
Apolipoprotein A1
Apolipoprotein B

Liver Function

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)
Albumin
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
Total protein

Ophthalmology

Intraocular pressure

Renal Function

eGFR (creatinine)
eGFR (cystatin)
Urea
Uric acid

Reproductive Health

Age at menopause

Portfolio details per domain available on request.

Important: Polygenic risk scores provide probabilistic risk information based on genetic data and are not diagnostic tests. They should be interpreted by qualified healthcare professionals in the context of a patient's full clinical picture. Starling Genomics develops its platform in accordance with European regulatory requirements for in vitro diagnostic devices.

Modular Platform Extensions

The following modules are in development and will be made available as the platform scales:

Clinician Portal

Secure clinician-facing interpretation and follow-up support environment.

Laboratory Partner Layer

Standardized onboarding interfaces for laboratory integration workflows.

White Papers

Evidence summaries and technical documentation publication module.

Regulatory Documentation

Governance and compliance artifact repository for local jurisdictions.

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