How GWAS Research Works: Genome-Wide Association Studies

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) scan hundreds of thousands of genetic variants across large populations to identify associations with traits and diseases. The NHGRI-EBI GWAS Catalog curates published associations from studies involving millions of participants worldwide.

From Study to Report

Each GWAS association provides an odds ratio, p-value, effect allele, and population data. GenomeNarrator uses these to compute polygenic risk scores, weighting each variant by its published effect size and your ancestry-matched allele frequency from gnomAD v4.1.

Limitations of GWAS Data

GWAS findings reflect statistical associations in study populations, not direct causation. Effect sizes are typically small for common variants. Most published GWAS were conducted in European populations, which can limit generalizability. Read our guide on what genomic science doesn't yet know. Start your analysis at our genomic report page or return to the GenomeNarrator home page.