Understanding genetic causes of intellectual disability across diverse populations
Official title: Elucidating the Genetic Etiology of Intellectual Disability in African, Asian, and European Families
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11397280 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aiming to find gene variants that contribute to intellectual disability in people from African, Asian, and European backgrounds to improve diagnosis and future treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 14, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $657,616 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD109342-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397280 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals or families with intellectual disability from the specified populations who can provide DNA samples and family member data.
✕Less likely to help
People without intellectual disability or from populations not included in the study may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will study families affected by intellectual disability from Finland, Hungary, Mali, and Pakistan, using trio and extended-family DNA samples to identify genetic variants. Researchers will perform next-generation sequencing on affected individuals and parents, then analyze the data with in-house tools to pinpoint candidate variants. Validated variants will be checked for how they segregate with the condition in families, helping connect genes to ID across diverse populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to better genetic screening and understanding of how ID develops, potentially guiding future therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have identified many ID genes, but many remain undiscovered, especially in non-European populations, making this approach important and moderately novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Leal, Suzanne M — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Leal, Suzanne M
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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.