Genomics of Indigenous Peoples & Populations

It is estimated that there are between 370 and 500 million Indigenous Peoples worldwide, in over 90 countries. While the indigenous peoples account for about 5% of the global population, encompass a significant and uncovered human genetic diversity. A number of disease genes and traits in these populations also suggest a founder effect, with significant impact on the precision health of the people. Genomic studies in indigenous populations could significantly augment our understanding of genetic diseases and traits and contribute to the well-being of the populations through targeted and accessible genetic diagnosis and precision medicine.

Our research aims to understand the human disease and trait associated genetic variants in indigenous populations towards making accessible and affordable diagnostic and screening approaches and accelerating precision medicine in these populations

We extensively collaborate with researchers and clinicians across the world in our endeavor.

Publications

Rophina M, Kek LT, Sivasubbu S, Scaria V, Salleh MZGenomic map of blood group alleles in Malaysian indigenous Orang Asli population from whole genome sequencesmedRxiv 2021.12.04.21267232; doi:
Shankar AJ, Jadhao S, Hoy W, McMorran B, Fotte S, Patel H, Scaria V, Nagaraj SH,Pharmacogenomic analysis of a genetically distinct Indigenous populationThe Pharmacogenomics Journal (Accepted 2021)
Jain, A, Sharma D, Bajaj, A, Gupta V, Scaria VFounder variants and population genomes—Toward precision medicineAdvances in Genetics (Academic Press) (2021) Accepted