This project aims to explore how genetic and socioenvironmental factors interactively affect a rich set of social, behavioral, and health outcomes. First, we intend to (re-)examine genetic effects on and genetic contributions to these outcomes. To this end, we plan to compare the performance of different GWAS designs and downstream PGSs. Second, we proceed to focus on the heterogeneity of these genetic effects and/or contributions in the form of G×E interactions. Instead of merely quantifying the interaction effects, we intend to further explore the substantive type of G×E interactions at play.
These two aims are motivated by gaps in the research literature. For one thing, the existing efforts at quantifying the genetic effects on individual behaviors and outcomes have come to sometimes substantially different estimates. For another, many existing G×E studies have been improperly designed to answer their intended research question by ignoring the endogeneity of both genetics and environmental measures, and few of them have specifically examined which type of G×E mechanism explains the observed pattern. Our project hopes to contribute to addressing these limitations.
We anticipate the project duration to be 4-5 years. Our project can provide empirical evidence to help compare and understand the properties of different GWAS designs and G×E techniques. Besides the methodological implications, this project can help us better understand the biosocial underpinnings of a rich set of social, behavioral, and health outcomes, and inform policy interventions aimed at reducing social inequalities and health disparities. For example, our results can potentially help early identify and intervene in vulnerable individuals, suggest how the genetic propensities of the target population may influence the effectiveness of health policies, and facilitate evidence-based policymaking that takes into account not only socioenvironmental factors but also their interactions with genetic endowment.
