Engaging African Communities for the HapMap Project

描述（由申请人提供）：单倍型图谱（HapMap）项目是一个国际合作项目，旨在绘制人类基因组的单倍型图谱。HapMap有望成为更有效的全基因组扫描的关键资源，将遗传变异与表型变异联系起来，特别是在疾病风险和药物反应方面。整个项目将包括若干组成部分，包括社区参与、收集不同人群的血液样本、对这些样本进行基因分型以及分析所得数据。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Haplotype Map (HapMap) Project is an international collaborative project to produce a haplotype map of the human genome. The HapMap is expected to be a key resource for more efficient genome-wide scans associating genetic variation with phenotypic variation, particularly in disease risk and drug response. The overall project will include a number of components, including community engagement, collection of blood samples from various populations, genotyping of these samples, and analysis of the resulting data. Several specific domestic and international populations have been identified for participation in the HapMap project, and will be involved in relevant community engagement and sample collection procedures. Current international sampling plans include populations in three geographic regions in Africa. Since one of the major objectives of the National Human Genome Center (NHGC) at Howard University is characterization of DNA sequence variation in African populations [the "Genomic Research in the African Diaspora (GRAD)' Initiative], the Center is providing leadership for the engagement of African people in the HapMap Project. Thus, the NHGC's participation in the HapMap project will provide the opportunity to address the characterization of common variants, as a component of the total profile of variation in African populations. It will also facilitate increased understanding of the political, economic, religious, and cultural factors that influence perspectives on and decision-making about genetics/genome research in these populations. The goal of this proposal is to engage communities in west, east, and southern Africa in order to obtain appropriate approval and consent for participation in the HapMap Project and Phase I GRAD. Specific aims include: 1) design a culturally appropriate process of community engagement in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa for considering the risks, benefits, and relevance of the development of a haplotype map of the human genome and the implementation of GRAD; 2) collect biological samples from community members in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa for the HapMap and GRAD projects; and 3) develop mechanisms for ongoing community feedback regarding the haplotype mapping initiative and GRAD.