How genes and life experiences affect depression in people from diverse backgrounds
Cross-Population Working Group on Genes and Environment in Major Depression (POP-GEM): Advancing the Understating of Etiology through Diversity
This project looks at how genetic differences and environmental experiences relate to major depression in people from many ancestry groups.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Suny Downstate Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brooklyn, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11242071 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, this project brings together genetic and health data from tens to hundreds of thousands of people around the world, with a focus on groups that have been left out of prior studies. Researchers will combine existing datasets to find genetic variants linked to depression, narrow down likely causal changes, and build risk scores that work better across different ancestries. They will also examine sex differences and how depression relates to other conditions like anxiety and heart disease. Much of the work uses samples and data already collected by many international collaborators.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people with a history of major depression, especially those from non-European ancestry groups who are currently underrepresented in genetic research.
Not a fit: People without a history of depression or those from ancestry groups already well represented in prior genetic studies may not see direct short-term benefits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce more accurate genetic risk information and lead to prevention or treatment strategies that work better for people from diverse ancestry groups.
How similar studies have performed: Large genetic studies focused on mainly European populations have identified risk genes and produced polygenic scores, but similarly large and diverse cross-population efforts are limited, so this approach is relatively novel and important.
Where this research is happening
Brooklyn, United States
- Suny Downstate Medical Center — Brooklyn, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peterson, Roseann Elizabeth — Suny Downstate Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Peterson, Roseann Elizabeth
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.