Harpak Lab
Principal Investigator: Arbel Harpak
Institution: The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)
Primary Subfield: Genetics/Genomics
Recruitment Status: ✅ Accepting PhD Students ✅ Hiring Postdocs
Research Focus
Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) are generated at unprecedented scale in order to link genetic variation to susceptibility to disease and other traits. But as the name suggests, GWAS only generates correlation data—and numerous challenges follow. Combining GWAS data with advanced population genetics tools provides a tremendous opportunity to learn about the genetics and evolution of complex human traits; but we need new statistical methods to realize the possible benefits. My lab will develop such statistical methods and apply them to complex biomedical traits, drawing directly on my previous work and expertise in population genetics, statistical genetics, and computation. First, we will tackle a major concern hindering the adoption of polygenic scores—genetic predictors of complex traits, derived from GWAS: Their poorer performance in groups that differ—whether in genetic ancestry, environmental or social exposures—from the samples in which the GWAS was performed. We will develop a mechanistic understanding of the determinants of the prediction accuracy of polygenic scores, thereby advancing complex trait genetics research for the benefit of all people. Second, we will chara…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R35GM151108-04: Making Genomic Prediction of Complex Disease Beneficial to All (2026)
- 5R35GM151108-03: Making Genomic Prediction of Complex Disease Equitable (2025)
- 5R35GM151108-02: Making Genomic Prediction of Complex Disease Equitable (2024)
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