Lynne Ross Wilkens

HAUDI improves polygenic score construction for admixed populations by efficiently extending the GAUDI method to multi-way admixture with faster computation and better performance.

This study conducts a GWAS of Native Hawaiians and Polynesian-ancestry populations to identify population-enriched genetic associations for cardiometabolic traits, confirming some variants and highlighting the need for larger cohorts.

This study shows that higher diet quality reduces ectopic adiposity, and this effect is partially mediated by gut microbiota, specifically four bacterial genera.

This study evaluates polygenic score models for anthropometric traits and Type II Diabetes in Native Hawaiians, finding reduced accuracy compared to European- or East Asian-ancestry populations.

This study investigates the association between Polynesian genetic ancestry and cardiometabolic traits in Native Hawaiians, finding increased risks for diabetes, heart failure, and BMI, but limited replication of a T2D-associated chr6 variant.

The paper shows that lack of Polynesian representation in genetic reference panels hinders discovery of population-specific variants, but accurate imputation is possible with a small number of Polynesian references.