Grant Details
Grant Number: |
3U01CA199277-08S1 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Lacey, James |
Organization: |
Beckman Research Institute/City Of Hope |
Project Title: |
Genome-Wide Genotyping of Existing Samples in the California Teachers Study Cohort From Under-Represented Racial & Ethnic Minority Groups to Facilitate Broad and Open Future Research |
Fiscal Year: |
2022 |
Abstract
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
This application is being submitted in response to the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) identified as NOT-CA-
22-056. The goal of this funding opportunity is to increase the representation of samples and data from
racial/ethnic minority populations in publicly available repositories. Including more samples from currently
underrepresented racial/ethnic minority populations in these repositories is necessary but not sufficient for
achieving that goal. Most human genomic research to date has focused on homogeneous European
populations, as defined by genetic ancestry, and excluded multiracial individuals. Exclusion of multiracial
individuals from that research increases the chances that its products—including reference panels and
polygenic risk scores (PRSes)—are systematically less valid for discovery and translation in other non-
European and mixed populations. This is especially worrisome in the U.S., where the number of “majority-
minority” states is increasing and the multiracial populations has increased by almost 300% (from 9 million to
almost 34 million) since the 2010 Census. Broader and deeper data from diverse and multiracial individuals
and populations is essential for disentangling the complex interactions of race, ethnicity, ancestry, biology, and
cultural constructs on health risks, outcomes, and disparities. Our California Teachers Study (CTS), a cancer
epidemiology cohort (CEC), is ideally positioned to help advance the goals of this Notice. We propose to
leverage N=1310 existing CTS biospecimens to increase representation of racial/ethnic minority samples in
germline genome-wide genotyping data repositories with accompanying exposure, phenotype, and outcome
data; and to broadly share these data with the research community. Between 2013 and 2016, two CTS
biobanking projects collected new blood samples, which have not yet been genotyped, from participants who
are Hispanic American (N=701), African American (N=172), Native American (N=126), Asian-American/Pacific
Islander (N=66), or “other/mixed” (N=245). These participants reported their own race/ethnicity and that of both
of their parents. This creates a level of precision that will further extend the future range of research that these
CTS data can support. These participants have provided extensive and broad exposure, phenotype, and
outcome data for years via efficient CTS data linkages that generate detailed individual-level cancer,
hospitalization, and mortality outcomes data for participants who donated biospecimens. The resulting genomic
data can support not just cancer research, but also research on other important chronic diseases (e.g., heart
disease, diabetes, and dementia) and health-care endpoints. The CTS is a leader among CECs in data
sharing; since 2015, we have developed new ways, tools, and infrastructure to share all CTS information and
resources with the research community, and these assets will help ensure the long-term success of this
project. Integrative genomics research will benefit from the availability of more data from minority & multiracial
populations, and this CTS-based project will help expand those resources for the research community.
Publications
None. See parent grant details.