Uganda Genome Resource: A rich research database for genomic studies of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Africa

The Uganda Genome Resource (UGR) is a well-characterized genomic database with a range of phenotypic communicable and non-communicable diseases and risk factors generated from the Uganda General Population Cohort (GPC), a population-based open cohort established in 1989. The UGR comprises genotype data on ∼5,000 and whole-genome sequence data on ∼2,000 Ugandan GPC individuals from 10 ethno-linguistic groups. Leveraging other platforms at MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, there is opportunity for additional sample collection to expand the UGR to advance scientific discoveries. Here, we describe UGR and highlight how it is providing opportunities for discovery of novel disease susceptibility genetic loci, refining association signals at new and existing loci, developing and testing polygenic scores to determine disease risk, assessing causal relations in diseases, and developing capacity for genomics research in Africa. The UGR has the potential to develop to a comparable level of European and Asian large-scale genomic initiatives.