Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) -- from SNPs to GWAS and Beyond

To date, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified >2,500 SNPs associated with complex human diseases and traits at p<1.0 x10-5. Despite the success, most studies have been performed only in European-descent populations, and very little work has been performed in characterizing the associations in diverse populations. To fill this gap, the National Human Genome Research Institute funded the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) network, which consists of a Coordinating Center and four study sites that have access to the Multiethnic Cohort, the Women's Health Initiative, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, the Cardiovascular Health Study, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study, the Strong Heart Study, the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. The network's goals include generalizing GWAS-identified associations to diverse populations and identifying modifiers in these rich datasets that include both a breadth of phenotypes and exposures. To meet these goals, the network is genotyping ~200 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) per year in a subset of approximately 290,000 combined DNA samples that include Asian Americans, African Americans, European Americans, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians, and American Indians. After quality control, genotypes and individual-level and/or aggregate data will be deposited into dbGaP, a repository of GWAS and phenotypic data maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The data will also be available on the PAGE custom browser available at www.pagestudy.org to ensure that investigators can access and mine these important data to better understand GWAS findings in a population-based setting.