Shared Genomic Architecture of Schizophrenia and Type 2 Diabetes

The Research Problem
Individuals affected with schizophrenia (SCZ), a severe psychiatric disorder, have a higher risk of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), a metabolic disorder characterised by high blood glucose levels, than the general population. This comorbidity may be due to the effects of drugs used to treat SCZ, lifestyle factors such as diet or common genetic influences. Most of the genetic research in this area has been done in individuals of European and Asian ancestry and there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the genetic overlap between mental health (such as SCZ) and physical health (such as T2D) disorders in more diverse population groups. African genomes are the most diverse and may provide novel insights into genomic overlap or causal relationships between mental and physical health disorders.

Research Design
The aim of this project is to identify shared genes and biological pathways across mental and physical health disorders and to determine whether there are any causal relationships.

Using available computational tools and leveraging large-scale genomic data, this will be achieved by:

1. Assessing whether genetic risk scores for SCZ and other psychiatric disorders are associated with T2D in African and European ancestry groups.
2. Determining whether there is significant genetic correlation between SCZ and T2D in African ancestry groups.
3. Determining whether there is causal relationships between SCZ and T2D (and related traits) in African ancestry groups.

 This collaborative project will comprise team members from 4 WUN member universities (University of Cape Town (UCT), Makerere University, University of Queensland, University of Bristol, across 4 regions (South Africa, Uganda, Australia, and the United Kingdom).

Project Objectives
This project will contribute to understanding shared genetic factors and potential causal pathways between SCZ and T2D –  insights that could improve early detection, prevention, and intervention strategies for individuals with severe mental illness and comorbid conditions. Importantly, this project addresses a major equity gap in mental health research by focusing on African ancestry populations, which are significantly underrepresented in genomic studies. By doing so, the research not only contributes to scientific understanding of SCZ comorbidities but also supports more inclusive and globally relevant mental health solutions. WUN is supporting this research by enabling effective international collaboration through targeted funding promoting equitable participation in global mental health genomics.