Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Wisconsin-Madison received a $414,305 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), awarded March 1, 2026, with a completion date of February 28, 2031. The grant supports the development and implementation of advanced statistical genetics tools to improve drug target discovery and treatment optimization. Specifically, the project addresses critical methodological gaps in Mendelian Randomization (MR) analyses by developing novel statistical approaches that enhance robustness across diverse populations, reduce bias from linkage disequilibrium-induced confounding, and improve causal inference frameworks. The research aims to overcome existing limitations that disproportionately affect underrepresented populations by incorporating diverse genetic resources and implementing structural equation models to better capture non-linear dose-response relationships and combinatorial drug target effects.

Over the five-year project period, the award will deliver theoretical and computational advances in statistical genetics methodology designed to enable more reliable and generalizable drug target discovery and precision medicine approaches. By addressing gaps in existing MR methodologies and biases in non-linear approaches, the funded research is expected to produce statistical tools and frameworks that support improved drug development and treatment optimization across diverse patient populations, thereby contributing to advances in addressing diseases with unmet medical needs.