Early heart and metabolic risk prediction in Africa
Official title: Integrated modeLs for Early Risk-prediction in Africa (ILERA) study
Funded at Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD · NIH-11415180 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project combines genetic information, blood-based signals, and lifestyle details to improve prediction of heart and metabolic disease risk for people in African communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Parktown, South Africa) |
| Project start | September 20, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $43,000 |
| NIH project number | 3U01HL172182-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415180 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults from participating African communities who are willing to provide blood samples and share lifestyle and environmental information are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not have African ancestry, are outside the study locations, or are unwilling to provide biological samples or lifestyle data may not benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you take part, you may be asked to give a blood sample and answer questions about your diet, activity, and environment. Researchers will start from existing genetic risk scores and add layers such as predicted gene activity, blood markers, and lifestyle data. They will use data-driven models that can capture complex, non-linear relationships between genes, biology, and environment. The work focuses on African populations (with participating sites including Burkina Faso and coordination at WITS in South Africa) to make risk tools more accurate for people like you.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify people at higher risk earlier so prevention or treatment can be offered sooner in African communities.
How similar studies have gone: Integrating genetics with other biological and lifestyle data has shown promise in non-African populations, but it remains relatively untested and less effective so far in African populations.
Where this research is happening
-
Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD
Parktown, South Africa Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Choudhury, Ananyo — Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD
- Study coordinator: Choudhury, Ananyo
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.