# Cross-Population Working Group on Genes and Environment in Major Depression (POP-GEM): Advancing the Understating of Etiology through Diversity

> **NIH NIH R01** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $847,710

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Large-scale genetic studies of major depression (MD) are primarily comprised of European descent cohorts.
Broadening diversity of study populations will empower genomic research by expanding discovery and
enhancing our understanding of the role of human genomic variation in disease etiology. This proposal
supports the formation of the Cross-Population Working Group on Genes and Environment in Major
Depression (POP-GEM) with the goal of characterizing genomic variants associated with MD across
ancestries. The overarching goal of this proposal is to leverage large-scale global collaborations to assemble
extant and emerging datasets from diverse ancestries in order to perform the largest and most inclusive cross-
population GWAS of MD to date (>70,000 diverse ancestry cases Phase I and >200,000 diverse ancestry
cases Phase II). We will delineate the genetic architecture of MD across populations, facilitating fine-mapping
of causal variants, improved polygenic risk profiling for all, examination of sex differences, and assessing
direction of causation between major comorbid traits and disorders. This application presents an exceptional
opportunity to gain insight into the etiology of MD and comorbid disease in groups underrepresented in prior
genetics research. Our broad goal is to address the major limitations in our knowledge of the genetic and
environmental risk architecture of MD in persons of diverse ancestries and lead to improvement in etiologic
understanding, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment in all populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10375923
- **Project number:** 1R01MH125938-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Roseann Elizabeth Peterson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $847,710
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-12-15 → 2022-08-02

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10375923

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10375923, Cross-Population Working Group on Genes and Environment in Major Depression (POP-GEM): Advancing the Understating of Etiology through Diversity (1R01MH125938-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10375923. Licensed CC0.

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