Latino ancestry and mental health genetics
Latino Ancestry Genomic Psychiatry Cohort
This project uses DNA from Latino people to find genetic differences linked to bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11138616 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will collect a saliva or blood sample and information about your mental health and medical history. They will analyze genomes from people with Latino ancestry to find genetic variants associated with bipolar disorder and related conditions. By comparing Latino genomes with other ancestry groups, they can narrow which genetic regions are most important and improve genetic risk scores. This expansion builds on earlier pilot work and aims to make genetic findings more relevant for Latino communities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults of Latino ancestry with bipolar disorder or without psychiatric diagnoses who are willing to give a DNA sample and share medical and mental-health information.
Not a fit: People who are not of Latino ancestry or who do not want to provide genetic samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could make genetic risk predictions and future treatments more accurate and fair for Latino patients with bipolar disorder.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier pilot analyses including Latino and African ancestry participants have already found new risk loci and improved cross-ancestry polygenic risk scores, so this approach has promising early results.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pato, Carlos N — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Pato, Carlos N
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.