Population Architecture Using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) Consortium

Genome-wide association studies have identified many genetic variants related to disease and have highlighted the need to further explore initial findings in non-European populations. The Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) Consortium (RFA HG-07-014 and RFA HG-07-015) was formed in July 2008 and was renewed for a second phase (PAGE II) in September, 2013 (RFA HG-12-010 and RFA HG-12-015).

The first phase of PAGE examined putative causal genetic variants across approximately 100,000 African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, European Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Hawaiians from four groups representing nine large U.S.-based cohorts. Two genotyping approaches were employed - targeted genotyping of selected SNPs identified in genome-wide association studies of common disease, and a large-scale effort focused on the Metabochip array, which facilitated trans-ethnic fine mapping of several diseases of public health importance. PAGE II will add to these achievements by focusing analysis and genotyping efforts entirely on approximately 50,000 non-European ancestry individuals to better characterize how genetic factors influence susceptibility to disease. In September 2013, the NHGRI announced new awards to four research groups representing six national cohorts and one Coordinating Center. By coordinating genotyping and phenotype harmonization across groups, PAGE is defining the epidemiological architecture of cross-population allele frequencies, relative risks, and distribution of phenotypes associated with particular variants and their environmental modifiers.

Page II Study Investigators

Genetics Epidemiology of Causal Variants Across the Life Course (CALiCo Consortium)

• Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC)
• Coronary Artery Risk In Young Adults (CARDIA)
• Hispanic Community Health Study

Principal Investigator (PI): Kari North, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Multiethnic Cohort (MEC)
Principal Investigator (PI): Chris Haiman, Ph.D., University of Southern California and Loic Le Marchand, M.D., Ph.D., University of Hawaii

Women's Health Initiative (WHI)
Principal Investigators (PIs): Charles Kooperberg, Ph.D. and Ulrike Peters, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Mount Sinai Biobank Program (MSSM Institute for Personalized Medicine)
Principal Investigator (PI): Ruth Loos, Ph.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Coordinating Center

Principal Investigator (PI): Tara C. Matise, Ph.D., and Steven Buyske, Ph.D., Department of  Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.

Genotyping Center

Center for Inherited Disease Research, Johns Hopkins University

The Steering Committee is the governing body for the consortium and is composed of the Principal Investigators from each institution and the NIH Project Scientist.Chair: Charles Kooperberg, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

The External Scientific Panel provides input to the NHGRI Director about the progress and direction of the Network.

• Chair: Julie Buring, Sc.D., Harvard University
  • Jonathan Haines, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University
  • Deborah Nickerson, Ph.D., University of Washington
  • Christopher O'Donnell, M.D., National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Harvard Medical School
  • Gloria Petersen, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic

PAGE II Working Groups will address issues related to array design and logistics, clinically relevant variants, variant annotation, and specific traits (lipids, diabetes/obesity, CHD/ECG, cancer, hypertension/kidney, inflammation), SNP selection and quality control, and ethnicity and ancestryPAGE Standing Committees coordinate ongoing activities such as Publications and Presentations.

PAGE Project Groups perform cross-study analyses and write manuscripts. PAGE I Project Groups focused on cancer, cardiovascular disease, lipids, obesity, type 2 diabetes, menopause/menarche, the Metabochip and phenotype-wide association study (PheWAS). PAGE II Project Groups are TBD.

• Putting Diversity Front and Center
  June 19, 2019

• PAGE Website
• Published Manuscripts related to PAGE
• Characteristics of PAGE Participants