Tools and datasets for genetics of behavior, social traits, and aging
Creating and disseminating resources for the genomics and omics of behavioral and social phenotypes
This project creates and shares large genetic and omics datasets to help researchers learn how genes relate to behavior, social traits, and aging.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11323178 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or a family member are affected by mental health, social challenges, or aging-related issues, this project builds shared resources so researchers can study genetic links to those traits. The team combines data from many studies to run very large genome-wide analyses, including family-based and diverse-ancestry approaches, and integrates other omics like methylation, gene expression, and brain imaging. They will produce summary statistics and polygenic scores and make these results broadly available so other scientists can use them. You would usually be involved only if your data are already part of a contributing study rather than through direct enrollment at UCLA.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people already enrolled in genetic, aging, or social-science cohort studies that can contribute DNA, health, or imaging data, especially from diverse ancestries and family-based samples.
Not a fit: People looking for immediate medical care or direct clinical treatments are unlikely to benefit directly because this project focuses on creating research resources rather than providing clinical services.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help researchers develop better genetic risk markers and clarify biological pathways that eventually inform prevention and treatment strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous large GWAS efforts, including work by the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium, have produced widely used summary statistics and polygenic indices, though clinical translation is still limited.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Benjamin, Daniel J — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Benjamin, Daniel J
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.