Genetic roots of OCD in Latin American people
Official title: 2/2 TRANS-ANCESTRY GENOMIC ANALYSIS OF OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11115651 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project collects DNA and health information from Latin American people with OCD to find genes that may raise the chance of having OCD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | August 17, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $527,483 |
| NIH project number | 5U01MH125062-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11115651 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with a clinical diagnosis of OCD who are from Latin America or of Latin American ancestry and willing to provide a DNA sample and detailed clinical information are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without OCD, or those not of Latin American ancestry, are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating in this genetic-focused project in the short term.
What this research studies
If you have OCD and are of Latin American ancestry, researchers will ask for a DNA sample and detailed information about your symptoms and other diagnoses. They plan to gather about 5,000 people through clinics across Latin America, some U.S. clinics, and online recruitment. All samples will be genotyped and compared across ancestries to find genetic differences linked to OCD. The team will use these larger, more diverse data to pinpoint genes and biological pathways that could explain risk for OCD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal biological targets that lead to better diagnosis, treatments, or prevention strategies that are more relevant for Latin American populations.
How similar studies have gone: Genetic studies in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism have uncovered risk genes, but large, diverse genomic efforts for OCD are more recent and this trans-ancestry approach is relatively new for OCD.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Storch, Eric a. — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Storch, Eric a.
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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.