Finding genes associated with common diseases in minority populations

Large studies have associated differences (variants) in hundreds of genes to different diseases. But most of these variants do not cause the diseases directly. They act as markers. This means that there is a gene near the marker that actually causes the disease. To find those specific genes, scientists have to look closer at the DNA in that region. These markers are different in different racial/ethnic groups. Most of these large studies have looked only in white people. Variants linked to disease in this group are not always found in “non-white” or minority groups. In this project, researchers will look for variants in the BioVU samples from minority groups. They will look for links between these variants and common diseases like cancer and diabetes. The results will help scientists find the gene regions to look at more closely.