Diverse Biobanks Uncover New Genetic Disease Links

UCLA Health study finds genetic insights that may improve personalized medicine for underrepresented groups

Mar. 28, 2026 at 2:20am

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A new study by UCLA Health published in Cell presents a major advancement in the future of personalized medicine by pinpointing new connections between people's genes, disease risk and medicine response by using a clinically well-characterized and diverse population-represented biobank. The research demonstrates how studying a broad range of ancestries within a single health system can reveal insights that may not emerge from less diverse datasets, including a finding that genetics can predict how well patients respond to GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.

Why it matters

Studies that include diverse populations can help researchers discover genetic associations that may not appear in more limited datasets and may improve the usefulness of genetic tools across different populations. The UCLA ATLAS study used broad- and fine-scale ancestries, leading to the identification of numerous previously unreported genetic associations.

The details

By analyzing genetic data and electronic health records from 93,936 participants in the UCLA ATLAS Community Health Initiative Biobank, the research found that treatment response to GLP-1 drugs varied across ancestry groups and was associated with a person's genetic risk for type 2 diabetes. The analysis also identified a genetic association of semaglutide response with the gene PTPRU. The study explored multiple layers of inherited variation, revealing new links between genes and diseases within specific ancestry groups, including between the gene ANKZF1 and peripheral vascular disease in African individuals, and between EPG5 and HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in Ashkenazi Jewish individuals.

  • The ATLAS Biobank was launched in 2016 by the UCLA Institute of Precision Health.
  • The study was published in the journal Cell in March 2026.

The players

UCLA ATLAS Community Health Initiative Biobank

A clinically well-characterized and diverse population-represented biobank that reflects the wide range of ancestries living in Los Angeles, allowing researchers to compare genetic influences on health across populations while minimizing differences in clinical care.

Dr. Daniel Geschwind

The senior author of the study, senior associate dean and associate vice chancellor of Precision Health at UCLA, who developed and oversees the ATLAS program.

Dr. Roni Haas

The lead author of the paper, an assistant project scientist at UCLA Health.

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What they’re saying

“This isn't a small lab finding. ATLAS represents a sweeping cross-section of real patients, making its discoveries directly translatable to the groups of people medicine has historically left behind.”

— Dr. Daniel Geschwind, Senior associate dean and associate vice chancellor of Precision Health at UCLA

“Although many other efforts to integrate electronic health records with genetic data have advanced genetic and biomedical discovery, they've often had a heavy concentration of homogeneous populations of European ancestry, limiting generalizability.”

— Dr. Roni Haas, Assistant project scientist at UCLA Health

What’s next

The researchers have pilot studies underway that they hope and expect will soon show the immediate, clinical impact that this work has the potential to deliver.

The takeaway

This study showcases how a diverse biobank like UCLA's ATLAS can uncover new genetic insights that may improve the usefulness of personalized medicine across different populations, addressing historical gaps in genetic research.