Project Grant R01HD109765

The National Institutes of Health Office of the Director awarded a $4,706,274 Project Grant to the University of Colorado Denver under the Trans-NIH Research Support program (CFDA 93.310) on September 9, 2022.

The grant will fund research to develop novel computational strategies for analyzing multi-omics data from individuals with Down syndrome to better understand the molecular connections between trisomy 21 and co-occurring conditions. Specifically, the University of Colorado Denver will work to identify shared genetic mechanisms between complex diseases and molecular changes in Down syndrome, develop methods to separate generic from context-specific signals in omics datasets using generative neural networks, and determine molecular connections between chromosome 21 genes and co-occurring conditions by searching knowledge graphs. All methods and results will be made publicly available through the InCLUDE Data Coordination Center. The research aims to provide insights with potential benefits both for improving care of individuals with Down syndrome as well as the general population.