Large genomic study finds 100+ new schizophrenia loci in African ancestry populations
Researchers used Million Veteran Program electronic health records plus diverse cohorts to map schizophrenia genetics in people of African ancestry, identifying ancestry-independent signals, fine-mapping causal genes, and expanding implicated regions by over 100 loci.
- The study analyzed EHR-linked genomic data from the Million Veteran Program and multiple African ancestry cohorts to assess schizophrenia genetics in the USA.
- Researchers identified ancestry-independent associations and expanded the catalog of implicated regions by more than 100 loci.
- Statistical fine-mapping and integrative transcriptomic analyses refined association signals to consensus genes with convergent neurobiological functions.
- Results address the historical bias toward European cohorts and improve the global relevance of schizophrenia genetic discoveries.
- Summary statistics and interactive results are publicly available through Synapse and LocusZoom for follow-up research.