Workshop on Statistical Genetic Methods for Human Complex Traits

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PROJECT SUMMARY This proposal requests a further five years of funding to support the organization and delivery of in-person and virtual intensive training workshops focused on the development of skills in statistical, behavioral, and quantitative genetics that will advance the mission of NIMH. Four workshops will be in-person over one week and one will be virtual across two weeks. We also request funding to support the development of a website devoted to self-education of this material and that will greatly increase the reach of the workshop. The workshop and its associated website are targeted at post-doctoral trainees, graduate and medical students, and early career faculty currently conducting or planning to initiate research on the genetics of mental health. To balance the needs of investigators using a variety of methodologies, our in-person workshops will alternate between a focus on structural equation modeling of twin, family, multivariate, and developmental data (the “Latent Genetics Course”), and a workshop focusing on the analysis of measured genome variation including sequence data (the “Molecular Genetics Course”). The virtual course will cover both content areas with a slightly more introductory focus. The website will be a central hub for learning statistical genetics of all content types. It will be made up of video lectures, practicals, code, and relevant readings along with a forum, all organized by topic and cross-referenced. Through both didactics and hands-on experience, research scientists participating in the workshops will refine their research skills in genetic design and analysis. The workshop offers an innovative program designed to provide education in state-of-the-art genetic methodology important to fulfill the objectives of the current NIMH Strategic Plan. Although designed for training, the live (in-person and virtual) workshops share some characteristics of a scientific meeting. Participants are encouraged to discuss their current research, to bring copies of their data to work on directly while at the workshop, and to discuss and develop research plans. New collaborations are established to facilitate high quality research on existing data sets, and new research initiatives are strengthened by collaborations formed at the workshop. Its curriculum is continuously updated by world leaders in statistical, behavioral, and quantitative genetics and their applications to mental health. This workshop has historically been one of the most important gateways to behavioral, statistical, and quantitative genetics. It has logged ~3,000 registrations since its inception in 1987. A large proportion of authors of papers with keywords such as “GWAS” and “twin studies” have attended the workshop and many leaders in the field got their start at it. The proposed workshop formats (in-person, virtual, and online) represent a modernization of how content is delivered and have already born fruit in terms of increased reach and diversity.