Approved research

Development and application of methods for analyzing whole-genome imputed data for hematological traits

Lay summary

The aims of the proposed research are two-fold: (1) to utilize the UKBiobank data to inform the development of statistical methods for large-scale genetic association studies that contain imputed genotypes; and (2) to deploy these methods on the UKBiobank data in order to discover the functional alleles that underlie blood disorders and variation in circulating blood-cell counts. The methods developed in Aim 1 will help inform future studies as to why some people get particular diseases and others do not. Aim 2 directly addresses this question, through the investigation of the genetic etiology of blood disorders. For our first Aim, we will be developing statistical methods using simulated data. The UKBiobank data will allow us to base our simulations on real-world data. For Aim 2, we will be analyzing the UKBiobank data using the methods developed in Aim 1. We will be analyzing both the genetic data as well as the data on circulating blood-cell counts (such as white-blood cell counts) and whether or not an individual has a blood cell disorder (for instance, thrombocytosis). If possible, we would like to include the full cohort for both of our Aims. For Aim 2, we would like to analyze all the participants for which circulating blood-cell counts were measured.