The Lipidomics & Structural Genomics Study

Supported by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

The role of genomic research in improving health continues to grow, but inequitably. Pacific Islanders are often missing from these efforts, making up only 0.002% of participants in GWAS studies (Ha et al., 2022)

  • Samoans and other Pacific Islanders are affected by cardiometabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and heart disease at higher rates than many other populations. However, they are rarely included in research about health generally and in genetics specifically. In this project, we will improve our knowledge in Samoans of lipid (fat) molecules in the blood and large DNA changes. Then, we can better understand how different lipid molecules, DNA differences, and modifiable risk factors work together to affect health.

  • We are measuring the blood lipid molecules (lipidome) and large structural DNA changes in 4300 Samoan research participants from Samoa and American Samoa. With these new data and with data we already have about simple DNA changes, modifiable risk factors, and cardiometabolic health, we will study how the DNA changes and modifiable risk factors affect lipid molecules and subsequently health.

  • Our discoveries in this study will help us better understand how lipid molecules work, how they are affected by genetic differences, and how they both affect health. This could help us find new ways to improve health in Samoan and Pacific Islander communities, and also for people everywhere by identifying targets for health interventions.