Large-Scale evaluation of the effect of rare genetic variants on psychiatric symptoms and cognitive ability – The Copy Number Variations (CNVs) and Major Psychopathology (CAMP) Study

Genetic variation between individuals can occur due to changes in the sequence of our DNA. Another type of genetic variation between individuals can occur due to changes in the number of copies of stretches of DNA: this is called copy number variation (CNV). In this project, we will use DNA to measure copy number variation (CNV) in participants from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). We will then test for associations between CNV and important health outcomes, such as mental wellbeing and cognitive ability. The results from our analyses in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) will be combined with results from other cohorts in the CAMP consortium, which is examining associations between CNV and health outcomes. Thus, our results will provide important insights into the biological processes underlying these health outcomes and aide discovery of innovative treatment strategies.