The primary goal of my lab is to reduce the disparity in genomics research across ancestries. We accomplish this by using diverse genomic datasets and cutting-edge computational techniques to study human populations that genomics has so far underserved. Our work is centered around complex neuropsychiatric traits with particular focus on populations of African and Latinx descent, though many of the tools we build are broadly applicable across phenotypes and populations, giving them the potential for widespread impact on human health. We also work on better understanding the demographic and evolutionary history of diverse human groups.
Our lab investigates a range of topics in statistical and human genetics to improve the inclusion of diverse participants in genomics studies. We have three primary tracks in the group spanning 1) basic research in applied/analytic statistical genetics, 2) investigations into population structure and evolution, and 3) methods/computational tool development.
Nearly 80% of all GWAS studies have been conducted on European cohorts. In particular, “admixed” people – those whose DNA contains more than one ancestral component, including African American and Latino individuals – are systemically excluded from studies due to the lack of available methods to appropriately handle their complex genomes. We bridge this concerning gap in research space by developing novel methods and tools to enable the study of complex traits in admixed people, bettering our understanding of mental health genetics in these diverse populations who have so far been underserved.
A necessary precursor to accounting for global diversity in genomics research is a thorough understanding of population history and evolution, which shapes the naturally occurring patterns of genetic variation. Therefore, a second line of inquiry my research group explores is characterizing key aspects of human evolution with ancestrally-tuned evolutionary statistics using global DNA collections. Elucidating the forces shaping the genetic variation of key (brain) genes in modern populations is not only of significant academic interest, but is vital for determining the appropriate methods for statistical and medical genomic analyses of diverse datasets.
Psychiatric disorders are the leading global cause of years lived with disability and affect all societies, yet there are major disparities in mental health research and treatment across ancestry groups. In partnership with both local and international colleagues and consortia, we lead efforts to optimize and apply ancestry informed analyses for psychiatric disorders to improve the understanding of the genetic contributors to mental health across populations.
Driving for equitable genomics is a team effort, and requires large sample sizes attainable only through aggregation of data. We are in the leadership of multiple international consortia, including the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PTSD working group), Neuropsychiatric Genetics in African Populations (NeuroGAP), and the Latin American Genomics Consortium (LAGC), affording trainees access to a wealth of diverse genetic datasets containing a wide range of phenotypes for potential study
Estela Maria Bruxel is a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Elizabeth Atkinson’s lab. She received her master’s and Ph.D. from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), studying genetic susceptibility and pharmacogenetics of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. At the University of Campinas, also in Brazil, she has developed a project to identify susceptibility loci for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) through integrating analyses of eQTL and GWAS data and prediction algorithms to predict medication response. Additionally, she received a fellowship to work in Atkinson lab to develop bioinformatic ancestry-informed techniques to study Brazilian admixed samples and improve GWAS analysis. She is a member of the Latin America Genetic Consortium and is the liaison for the Psychiatry Genetic Consortium Outreach Committee. She hopes to improve the understanding of the genetic contributors to neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases and create strategies for precision medicine treatment for such patients. In addition, she hopes for more equitable genomics studies across underrepresented populations. Out of the lab, she loves riding mountain bike and exploring parks.
Grace Tietz is a Genetics & Genomics PhD student in the lab whose primary project aims to improve genetic testing for cardiovascular disease across populations. She approaches this challenge through the lens of population-genetics and integrates information on rare variants and polygenic burden to optimize performance across ancestries. Complimenting this work, she is evaluating patient perspectives to genetic testing in underserved and understudied populations and is developing polygenic approaches to prioritize genetic sequencing in individuals of the Undiagnosed Diseases Network. Beyond her research, Grace is interested in genetics’ role in society, and ways that policies and healthcare practices reflect our collective perspectives on it.
Helen is a PhD student in the Atkinson Lab and is in the Genetics and Genomics program at Baylor College of Medicine. She is originally from Taiwan. She completed her MS degree in Neuroscience at National Taiwan University and was a research assistant in Bioinformatics at National Yang Ming Chao Tung University. Surrounded by people with highly diverse ethnic backgrounds in Houston, she is interested in the genetics of diverse ancestry. Specifically, her research interests are optimizing genetic risk prediction for neuropsychiatric conditions in diverse populations, pharmacogenomics, and gene x environment interactions in disease prediction. Outside the lab, she enjoys playing groovy music, watching vlogs featuring cute kids or dogs, and immersing herself in nature.
Nirav is a Ph.D. candidate in the Genetics and Genomics program, where he investigates African ancestral tracts in admixed individuals, as well as the genetics of PTSD as member of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Before starting graduate school, he worked as a computational biologist in a Duke spinoff biotech startup in North Carolina. In his free time, he loves to explore the outdoors, and enjoys hiking, swimming and reading.
Pragati is a PhD student in the Genetics & Genomics program at Baylor College of Medicine. She is broadly interested in developing and applying approaches to study rare variants with the inclusion of admixed populations. She grew up in Austin, Texas, and graduated from UT Austin with a BS in Biochemistry. Following her bachelor’s degree, she worked at the Center for Advanced Genomics Technology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as an Associate Researcher. Outside of the lab, she enjoys attending concerts, traveling, and trying new recipes in the kitchen!
Amira is a post-baccalaureate student in the Human Genome Sequencing Center Pre-Graduate Education and Training (PGET) program at Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her undergraduate study in Biology with a concentration in genetics at Pennsylvania State University in 2022. Amira’s prior research experience includes studying the gene arrangements of Klamath and Persimilis drosophila, specifically focusing on their breakpoint regions. Currently, she is working to improve polygenic risk score performance for lipoprotein(a), breast cancer, and epilepsy across ancestries.
Aishi is an undergraduate student from Rice University who is majoring in biology and sociology. She is currently working on running genome-wide association studies for the All of Us dataset, in order to evaluate the performance of various genetic inference algorithms for diverse populations. Broadly, she is interested in leveraging large-scale datasets to increase equity in genomics research. Outside of the lab, she enjoys crocheting and playing Anagrams.
Jessica was a former visiting Master's student in the Atkinson Lab, who will soon be returning as a bioinformatics analyst! They graduated from Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil in 2019 with a BSc. in Biomedical Science, and in 2022 with a MSc. in Human Genetics/Bioinformatics. Jessica is interested in contributing to the inclusion of underrepresented populations in genetics research and improving disease risk prediction for diverse ancestry/admixed populations. Outside of the lab, they enjoy playing games, drawing, and playing guitar.
Taotao completed his bachelor's and master’s degree in biology, and then joined the Atkinson lab as a bioinformatics analyst in 2021. His primary focus of work revolved around the development and application of GWAS methodologies for diverse populations. Starting in the fall of 2023, he is pursuing his Ph.D. in the Quantitative and Computational Biosciences program at Baylor College of Medicine. In his spare time, he enjoys playing video games and the electric guitar.
Details/link in Publications tab.
Candidates with training and interest in diverse population genomics or psychiatric genetics please email Dr. Atkinson and/or apply directly to the relevant BCM job listing. [Postdoc listing] [Analyst listing]
Details/link in Publications tab. It's great to see the efforts of the Pan-UKB project helping include more ancestries in large-scale analyses.
Atkinson EG, Dalvie S, Pichkar Y, Kalungi A, Majara L, Injera WE, et al. Genetic structure correlates with ethnolinguistic diversity in eastern and southern Africa. BioRxiv 2021. [Online]
Turley P, Martin AR, Goldman G, Li H, Kanai M, Walters RK, et al. Multi-Ancestry Meta-Analysis yields novel genetic discoveries and ancestry-specific associations. 23 Michelle N Meyer 2021;12:26. BioRxiv 2021. [Online]
The COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19 by worldwide meta-analysis. 2021:2021.03.10.21252820. MedRxiv. [Online]
Majara L, Kalungi A, Koen N, … Atkinson EG, Martin AR. Low generalizability of polygenic scores in African populations due to genetic and environmental diversity. BioRxiv 2021:2021.01.12.426453. [Online]
Adams AK, Guertin EL, Truong DT, Atkinson EG, DeMille MMC, Bosson-Heenan JM, et al. Genome Wide Association Study in the New Haven Lexinome Project Identifies GARRE1 as a Novel Gene for Reading Performance. 2021. bioRxiv. [Online]
Interested in joining our group?
Candidates with training and interest in diverse population genomics, statistical genetics, and/or psychiatric genetics please email Dr. Atkinson.
1 Baylor Plaza
Taub Research Building, Rooms 621 (office) and 619 (lab)
Department of Molecular and Human Genetics
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX 77030