Mental Health Genomics Consortium Coordinating Center

About This Grant

Mental illnesses are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, affecting more than 25% of the population in any year. Genetic studies for mental illnesses have made encouraging progress in the past decades. The NIMH Genomics Consortium Coordination Center (GC3) aims to transform genetics research in mental illnesses by bringing together NIMH-supported genomics data to build a resource for the community and power genomics discovery efforts for mental illnesses. GC3 will enhance interoperability of genomics datasets and facilitate collaborative research efforts. In Aim 1, the GC3 will establish and manage a network of NIMH-supported genomics projects to bring the community together, develop working groups to enable cross-consortium efforts; organize an annual in-person meeting; and coordinate the submission of data to the appropriate repositories. In Aim 2, GC3 will develop and implement a flexible phenotype harmonization strategy across study sites. This involves supporting working groups dedicated to phenotype harmonization and conducting comprehensive assessments of phenotyping protocols used across different studies. By aligning diagnostic and symptom-level data, we will ensure that the phenotypic information included with genomics datasets can be analyzed across sites, a critical step for advancing genomics discoveries in psychiatric disorders. In Aim 3, GC3 will conduct comprehensive genomic ingest, data harmonization and imputation for all samples. From the called and imuted of genetic variation, GC3 will also perform quality control to ensure that data from multiple sites are standardized and integrated. This allows for more powerful integrated analyses and ensures that genetic data is accessible and usable for a wide range of researchers. In Aim 4, we will integrate and distribute data and results to investigators. We will integrate genetic association analyses across sites, disorders, and studies, then create data browsers to facilitate broad and easy access to the results of genomic investigations into mental illnesses including common and rare variants association analyses. We will also distribute the results of phenotypic protocol harmonization. In Aim 5, we will develop and implement a comprehensive training program for members of the constituent NIMH-supported genomics projects. Through a structured training program, GC3 will organize annual workshops, develop an online learning platform, and facilitate a journal club to engage early career researchers. This comprehensive approach will galvanize psychiatric genetics research, foster collaboration, and advance research practices, to learn the biology of mental illnesses and ultimately helping to alleviate the burden these illnesses create in the United States of America.