Research Populations
The San Antonio Mexican American Family Studies are a series of genetic studies that focus on a sample of Mexican American families from San Antonio, Texas. This population was effectively randomly ascertained, so is well suited to studies of the genetic determinants of variation in any disease-related or normal trait. The population sample has been studied for over 25 years and now includes over 3500 extremely well-characterized individuals who belong to approximately 80 large families. Whole genome sequence data are available for many study participants as are lymphoblastoid cell lines.
The Jirel population of eastern Nepal has been the focus of genetic research by STDOI investigators since 1985. This small ethnic group resides in the Jiri region of Nepal. Over 2600 individuals have participated in one or more of the Jirel Population Studies conducted over the past 25 years. These individuals all belong to a single large extended pedigree that is extremely powerful for genetic research. All individuals in the population have been characterized extensively for both genetic and phenotypic variation.
The Posse Family Health Studies began in 1994 in a rural region of central Brazil in the state of Goiás, Brazil. The studied population now includes approximately 2000 individuals belonging to two large extended pedigrees that have strong statistical power for genetic analysis. The families have been characterized extensively for a broad range of traits related to cardiovascular disease and for genetic variability in the population.