Improving Cancer Risk Scores Across Diverse Populations
Official title: Leveraging Prospective Cancer Epidemiology Cohorts and Novel Methods to Improve Polygenic Risk Scores
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-11509787 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project helps doctors and patients by refining polygenic risk scores so they work more accurately for people of different ancestries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 28, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $300,000 |
| NIH project number | 3U01CA261339-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11509787 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals from diverse ancestries who are part of the included cohorts or who might benefit from more accurate risk assessment in the future.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not represented in the included cohorts or not receiving risk prediction updates may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will use data from large, long-running cancer groups to create and test better polygenic risk scores that work for non-European populations. The study combines new methods with existing cohorts, aiming to reduce bias in risk predictions. If successful, this could lead to more personalized cancer screening and prevention efforts for diverse communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: More accurate cancer risk predictions for people of diverse backgrounds could lead to earlier detection and better prevention.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows that ancestry-informed risk scores can improve prediction but gaps remain for non-European groups; this project aims to advance that progress.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Fei — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Chen, Fei
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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.