Indian rare variant association studies

Schizophrenia is a common yet poorly understood mental illness with a strong genetic link. While large studies have identified some common genetic variations associated with schizophrenia, many genetic and environmental risk factors remain a mystery. This might be due to rare variants with stronger effects. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and microarray data were used to identify rare and structural variants in genetic diseases. This approach has successfully revealed risk genes for brain disorders, including schizophrenia. Large studies of diverse ancestry are needed to understand how these rare mutations contribute to the risk of developing schizophrenia. However, rare variant studies have been predominantly conducted on European and East Asian ancestry. We intend to conduct rare and structural variant association studies in a South Asian schizophrenia cohort.