Genes linked to opioid use and addiction risk in a large, diverse group
Official title: Multivariate genome-wide association analysis of opioid-related traits in half a million diverse individuals
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11506189 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers look for genetic differences that help explain why some people try opioids, react differently, or develop opioid use disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | January 15, 2025 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $159,415 |
| NIH project number | 3R01DA061977-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11506189 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would include people with genetic or health data—especially those with a history of opioid use, problematic opioid use, or opioid use disorder, and people from diverse ancestral backgrounds.
✕Less likely to help
People without any opioid exposure or whose risk is driven entirely by social or environmental factors may not see direct benefit from genetic findings.
What this research studies
This project combines genetic and health data from about half a million people to find DNA differences tied to opioid-related traits. It focuses not only on diagnosed opioid use disorder but also on earlier stages like first opioid use, subjective response to opioids, escalation of use, and the move from problem use to addiction. Scientists will run genome-wide scans across diverse ancestry groups and use advanced statistical methods to find genetic signals associated with these stages. The goal is to make findings that apply to many populations and help explain biological risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify people at higher genetic risk and guide prevention, more personalized care, or new medication targets.
How similar studies have gone: Large genetic scans have successfully identified risk genes for alcohol and tobacco use, but opioid genetics has produced fewer clear results, so this uses proven GWAS approaches on a harder-to-study problem.
Where this research is happening
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University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sanchez Roige, Sandra — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Sanchez Roige, Sandra
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.