Skip to navigation Skip to main content Skip to footer

Approved research

Genetic study of complex phenotypes

Principal Investigator: Professor Heping Zhang
Approved Research ID: 42009
Approval date: May 14th 2019

Lay summary

Identifying genetic variants for complex diseases is important, challenging, and to a great extent, frustrating. We will develop novel statistical models, methods, and software while efficiently using and understanding the available data. We will develop more efficient approaches that utilize biological information (e.g., genetic, clinical, and demographic data) and link them to complex outcome data. Our progress will help address one or more of the following areas of research: (a) analysis of imaging, genetic, clinical, and environmental data; (b) modeling multiple psychiatric conditions simultaneously; and (c) identification and incorporation of novel genetic variants including their interactions with environmental factors by using and developing state-of-the-art statistical methodology and software. We believe our research will have a direct impact on our understanding of diseases, which may ultimately be used by other experts in developing treatment and prevention strategies for a broad range of diseases.