Genetics of OCD in Latin American and diverse populations
Official title: 1/2 Trans-ancestry genomic analysis of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11113931 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are finding how genes influence the risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder in people from Latin America and other ancestries by collecting DNA and clinical information.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $386,089 |
| NIH project number | 5U01MH125050-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11113931 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, especially those of Latin American ancestry or who can enroll through participating clinics or online recruitment.
✕Less likely to help
People without OCD or those unwilling to provide a DNA sample and clinical information are unlikely to have a direct role or benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will enroll about 5,000 people with OCD through clinics across Latin America, partner U.S. clinics, and web-based recruitment, and collect detailed clinical information and DNA samples. All samples will be genotyped and analyzed in a trans-ancestry framework to find genetic variants and biological pathways linked to OCD. Clinical data will include symptom patterns, comorbid conditions, and other relevant medical history to relate genetics to how OCD presents. Increasing the size and ancestral diversity of the dataset aims to reveal signals missed by smaller or less diverse studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal genetic contributors to OCD that eventually inform better diagnosis, prevention, or new treatment targets.
How similar studies have gone: Large psychiatric genomics projects have identified risk genes for disorders like schizophrenia and autism, while OCD has had smaller genetic studies, making this large, diverse approach relatively novel but grounded in prior successes.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Crowley, James Joseph — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Crowley, James Joseph
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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.