# Utilization and Assessment of Ancestry- Informed Genomics in Admixed Populations: Recommendations for Precision Medicine Initiatives

> **NIH NIH F99** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $48,974

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Approximately 50% of adults in the United States have at least one chronic disease, and minority populations
have a disparate burden compared to individuals of non-minoritized racial identities. Early diagnosis and
intervention are key features of precision medicine initatives, which must first overcome heterogeneity among
risk factors, including sex differences and social determinants of health. Despite the development of ancestry-
informed genomic analyses, which can be applied to determine ancestry-driven genetic susceptibility for disease
risk in diverse populations, recently admixed individuals of African ancestry are underrepresented in genetic
studies targeted to identify risk factors for chronic disease. Moreover, few genetic studies are positioned to
examine the modifying effects of social determinants of health on genetic risk for chronic disease, which can
result in inflated estimates of genetic effect and thus further impinge on precision medicine initiatives in recently
admixed individuals of African ancestry. The utilization of ancestry-informed genomic analyses and integration
of ancestry-driven genomic discoveries in precision medicine initiatives is paramount for the accuracy and
innovation in treating chronic disease. This proposal details the ways in which I, Ms. Kimberlyn Ellis, will fill these
detrimental gaps through my doctoral and anticipated postdoctoral research. In Specific Aim 1 (The
Dissertation Research Project), I will investigate the interactions between genetic variation, genetic ancestry,
and known social and structural risk factors in the context of electronic health record data using asthma as a
well-characterized and comprehensive proof-of-principle chronic disease phenotype. In Specific Aim 2 (The
Postdoctoral Research Direction), I will conduct a landscape analysis of current genomic-driven precision
medicine initiatives, including the ethical, legal, and social implications of the current inequalities. After narrowing
my focus to the initiatives that are most disparate for non-European populations, I will develop and assess a list
of policy priorities related to integrating ancestry-informed genomics into these initiatives. The proposed studies
will greatly diversify and advance the field of genomics in two important ways. First, they will provide a rigorous
framework for elucidating the poorly understood relationships between genetic ancestry, social determinants of
health, and chronic disease for recently admixed populations with African ancestry. Second, they will provide
guidelines and recommendations for implementing ancestry-informed genomics in large-scale clinical settings,
creating just and equitable precision medicine advancements for underrepresented groups. Moreover, the
completion of these aims and funding from this award will be imperative to my ultimate goal of building an
impactful career as an independent researcher seeking to break down scientific silos and foster ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10996462
- **Project number:** 1F99HG013879-01
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kimberlyn A Ellis
- **Activity code:** F99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $48,974
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-15 → 2026-09-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10996462

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10996462, Utilization and Assessment of Ancestry- Informed Genomics in Admixed Populations: Recommendations for Precision Medicine Initiatives (1F99HG013879-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10996462. Licensed CC0.

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