Creating a National Resource for Genetic Research in Behavioral & Health Sciences

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A Grand Opportunity for scientific advance has been created by the confluence of falling costs of genotyping, the development of statistical methods for genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and the creation of a substantial repository of genetic material on 16,000 participants in a major multi-disciplinary public-use longitudinal study of aging. The Health and Retirement Study (HRS), begun in 1992, sets the standard for data-sharing and dissemination, with over 1,000 publications by over 1,000 different authors and co-authors. Its rich measurement across domains of health, psychological characteristics, social networks, and economic status and behavior creates an unparalleled body of phenotypic data observed over time that can now be paired with a rich genotypic characterization using the Illumina 1m SNP chip. Valuable as a replication sample for many established GWA studies, this resource, building on a study already widely known in behavioral aging research, will revolutionize research on behavioral science as one of the first large-scale studies to combine genetics with behavioral phenotypes, creating a platform for discovery. Specifically, this project aims to conduct genotyping through the Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR) on approximately 16,000 samples derived from saliva; to make the genotype data available through dbGap with a limited array of phenotypes; to create a process for sharing genotype and broader phenotype data more widely in the research community; and to conduct a limited set of association studies with established phenotypes of cardiovascular health and cognition to demonstrate the potential of the data resource and serve as examples for future studies. The data and data-sharing mechanisms will be integrated into the ongoing HRS at the conclusion of this project. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project will conduct genetic analysis on 16,000 individual participants in an ongoing longitudinal study of older Americans, and create mechanisms by which qualified researchers anywhere in the country can access the data for scientific analysis of health and behavior in the older population. It will conduct demonstration studies of genetic factors in cardiovascular health and in cognition.