# Convergent Genetic and Genomic Analyses of Schizophrenia

> **NIH VA I01** · VA NEW YORK HARBOR HLTHCARE/SYS/BROOKLYN · 2021 · —

## Abstract

Objective: To identify common and rare genetic variants that increase the risk of schizophrenia (SCZ), and to
study their impact on illness risk as well as measures of morbidity in large samples.
Background: Schizophrenia is a major cause of disability amongst US veterans as well as worldwide, with an
annual public health burden of more than $60 billion. Recent studies have strongly supported the impact of
both common and rare variants on illness risk. However, the known genetic risk factors for the illness still
comprise a small portion of the overall heritability, which is about 80%. These variants are more likely to occur
in non-coding than coding regions of the genome. For this and other reasons, whole-genome sequencing
(WGS) has become the method of choice to identify genetic risk variants for SCZ and other common, complex
disorders. Although prohibitively expensive only a few years ago, it is now feasible to carry out WGS in large
numbers affordably. In the last grant period, we successfully conducted WGS in 20 families segregating either
SCZ or bipolar disorder from the geographically isolated Portuguese Islands of the Azores and Madeira. We
have shown that rare variants segregating with illness in these families preferentially cluster in regions
previously implicated by GWAS. Genetic risk factors are likely to be easier to identify in more isolated
populations because of their greater homogeneity, and consequently fewer genetic inputs to disease.
Proposed Methods: We plan to enlarge our current sample of multiplex Azorean families segregating SCZ by
ascertaining and collecting new families in the Azores as well as following up previously studied families to
identify individuals who have entered the age of risk for SCZ. These families will undergo WGS using the
Illumina HiSeqX to identify common and rare single nucleotide variants and structural variants associated with
illness. These families will be sequenced alongside the Genomic Psychiatry Cohort (GPC), a large US
sample of SCZ and bipolar cases and controls (10,000 cases and 10,000 controls), and variant calling will be
done with this much larger sample to increase accuracy. Furthermore, we will be able to use the GPC as a
replication sample in a two-stage design, which we demonstrate has greater power than a one-stage design.
We will also examine genetic influences on phenotypes relevant to Precision Medicine, such as symptomatic
dimensions and outcome.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9856938
- **Project number:** 5I01CX001380-03
- **Recipient organization:** VA NEW YORK HARBOR HLTHCARE/SYS/BROOKLYN
- **Principal Investigator:** AYMAN H FANOUS
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9856938

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9856938, Convergent Genetic and Genomic Analyses of Schizophrenia (5I01CX001380-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9856938. Licensed CC0.

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