Combining health and genetic data to spot risk factors for diabetes and breast cancer
Statistical Methods for Data Integration and Applications to Genome-wide Association Studies
This project combines biobank records and genetic study results to find genes and other risk factors that matter for people with adult-onset diabetes and breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11196213 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work builds tools that let researchers join detailed health and lifestyle data from a main study with summary results from other genetic studies when full data can’t be shared. The team will create statistical methods to blend individual-level and summary-level information so larger, more complete risk models can be made. They will apply these methods to genome-wide studies to look for gene–environment interactions and ways genetics may influence disease paths for diabetes and breast cancer. The aim is to use many different datasets together to give clearer, more powerful insights about risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with adult-onset diabetes or breast cancer whose genetic and health data are already held in biobanks or genetic studies would be the most relevant group for this work.
Not a fit: Patients without genetic data or those from populations underrepresented in the contributing datasets may not see direct benefits from these methods right away.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could get more accurate genetic risk information and better identification of people at higher risk for adult-onset diabetes and breast cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has successfully combined GWAS summary statistics with biobank data, but this project develops new methods to improve the reliability and scope of those combined analyses.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chatterjee, Nilanjan — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Chatterjee, Nilanjan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.