Study of Ugandan Genomes Yields Novel Variants, Health Links

The authors say their results demonstrate the global benefits of studying African genetics.

Written byShawna Williams

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A project that analyzed the genomes of rural Ugandans uncovered a raft of genetic variants and other findings with implications for human health, researchers report today (October 31) in Cell. Relatively few genomic studies to date have focused on Africans, and the new results demonstrate the value of doing so, the authors say.

“Uganda is a melting pot of different cultures and languages, and we wanted to understand the genetic structure and history of populations within the country,” says coauthor Pontiano Kaleebu, the director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute and of the MRC/UVRI & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, in a press release.

Kaleebu and his colleagues genotyped or sequenced the genomes of more than 6,000 people from villages in southwestern Uganda, and compared the results to data from questionnaires, measurements of height and other parameters, and blood biomarker ...

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Meet the Author

Shawna Williams
Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Previously, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, and in the communications offices of several academic research institutions. As news director, Shawna assigned and edited news, opinion, and in-depth feature articles for the website on all aspects of the life sciences. She is based in central Washington State, and is a member of the Northwest Science Writers Association and the National Association of Science Writers.
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