Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) poses a serious public health problem due to its prevalence. It is a commonly occurring mental health consequence of exposure to life-threatening events such as combat, sexual assault, natural disasters, and serious accidents. Frequently associated with the occurrence of other mental disorders such as depression and increased risk for suicide, it is also a risk factor for other adverse health sequelae, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Understanding the biological basis of risk for PTSD is therefore an important research goal ultimately aimed at prevention and mitigation.
Unbiased large-scale genomic discovery provides one of the best current approaches for identifying the biological basis for PTSD. African populations both in the diaspora and on the African continent face a disproportionately high burden of trauma and PTSD yet experience inequity due to underrepresentation in PTSD genetic research, disparities in research, and access to treatment informed by the global north. This underscores the basis for the study, as data from African populations in genetic studies are critical to generate a complete picture of genetic risk factors and identify relevant treatments and therapies.
Specifically, the project aims to:
- Expand knowledge of the genetic architecture of PTSD in the African continent through large-scale sample collection and analysis in Kenya
- Increase understanding of the high burden of trauma and PTSD faced by African populations
- Enhance neuropsychiatric genetic research capacity in Kenya through the training of scientists and support the development of locally led research programs, and
- To examine the association between trauma exposure and other mental disorders including depression, anxiety, substance use, and physical conditions
The project is led by Prof. Lukoye Atwoli (P.I), Dr. Linnet Ongeri (Co-Investigator), and Dr. Sara Kanana (Co-Investigator) from the Aga Khan University Medical College East Africa and the Brain and Mind Institute. Dr. Kingi Mochache from Nairobi County is working closely with the team as a consultant. She is the lead psychiatrist at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and also oversees the Mbagathi Hospital Mental Health department. International PIs for this study include Dr Benjamin Neal and Prof Karestan Koenen of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. A similar study is taking place at Makerere University within the same consortium, led by Dr Dickens Akena.
The long-term aim of this study is to explore trauma burden and PTSD in Kenya and to contribute to the first large, well-powered genome-wide study of PTSD in persons of African ancestry. Recruitment of participants began in November 2023 at the Aga Khan University Hospital site and will be rolled out in Mama Lucy Kibaki and Mbagathi Hospital sites in December. The three-year target enrollment across collection sites in this study is 4,000 participants. The Study is part of a collaboration with colleagues from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, as well as Makerere University in Uganda.
The results of this study will not only provide critical information on the genetic architecture of PTSD in African populations but will also contribute more broadly to knowledge about African population genetics and strengthen ongoing equitable research partnerships between African researchers and their US counterparts.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) poses a serious public health problem due to its prevalence. It is a commonly occurring mental health consequence of exposure to life-threatening events such as combat, sexual assault, natural disasters, and serious accidents. Frequently associated with the occurrence of other mental disorders such as depression and increased risk for suicide, it is also a risk factor for other adverse health sequelae, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Understanding the biological basis of risk for PTSD is therefore an important research goal ultimately aimed at prevention and mitigation.
Unbiased large-scale genomic discovery provides one of the best current approaches for identifying the biological basis for PTSD. African populations both in the diaspora and on the African continent face a disproportionately high burden of trauma and PTSD yet experience inequity due to underrepresentation in PTSD genetic research, disparities in research, and access to treatment informed by the global north. This underscores the basis for the study, as data from African populations in genetic studies are critical to generate a complete picture of genetic risk factors and identify relevant treatments and therapies.
Specifically, the project aims to:
- Expand knowledge of the genetic architecture of PTSD in the African continent through large-scale sample collection and analysis in Kenya
- Increase understanding of the high burden of trauma and PTSD faced by African populations
- Enhance neuropsychiatric genetic research capacity in Kenya through the training of scientists and support the development of locally led research programs, and
- To examine the association between trauma exposure and other mental disorders including depression, anxiety, substance use, and physical conditions
The project is led by Prof. Lukoye Atwoli (P.I), Dr. Linnet Ongeri (Co-Investigator), and Dr. Sara Kanana (Co-Investigator) from the Aga Khan University Medical College East Africa and the Brain and Mind Institute. Dr. Kingi Mochache from Nairobi County is working closely with the team as a consultant. She is the lead psychiatrist at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and also oversees the Mbagathi Hospital Mental Health department. International PIs for this study include Dr Benjamin Neal and Prof Karestan Koenen of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. A similar study is taking place at Makerere University within the same consortium, led by Dr Dickens Akena.
The long-term aim of this study is to explore trauma burden and PTSD in Kenya and to contribute to the first large, well-powered genome-wide study of PTSD in persons of African ancestry. Recruitment of participants began in November 2023 at the Aga Khan University Hospital site and will be rolled out in Mama Lucy Kibaki and Mbagathi Hospital sites in December. The three-year target enrollment across collection sites in this study is 4,000 participants. The Study is part of a collaboration with colleagues from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, as well as Makerere University in Uganda.
The results of this study will not only provide critical information on the genetic architecture of PTSD in African populations but will also contribute more broadly to knowledge about African population genetics and strengthen ongoing equitable research partnerships between African researchers and their US counterparts.
