Improving Genetic Risk Scores for Diverse Populations
Polygenic Risk Score Methods Development Consortium Coordinating Center
This project aims to make genetic risk scores more accurate for predicting disease risk in people from all backgrounds.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11094767 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many genetic risk scores, which help predict a person's chance of developing certain diseases, currently work best for people of European descent. This project is a coordinating center for a larger effort to improve these scores so they work well for everyone, regardless of their ancestry. We will organize the sharing and standardization of genetic and health information from existing groups of people. Our work will also involve developing better ways to analyze this data and create more reliable genetic risk scores for a variety of health conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This work does not directly involve patient participation, but its findings could eventually benefit individuals from diverse backgrounds who are interested in understanding their genetic risk for various diseases.
Not a fit: Patients who are not interested in genetic risk prediction or who are already well-served by existing genetic tools may not see a direct benefit from this specific methods development work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more accurate and fair genetic risk predictions, helping doctors identify individuals at higher disease risk earlier and more effectively.
How similar studies have performed: While the concept of polygenic risk scores is established, this consortium aims to address a critical challenge of limited population representation, making its approach to improving equity in PRS prediction novel and highly needed.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rice, Kenneth M. — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Rice, Kenneth M.
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.