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Cross-Ancestry Genetic Correlation

Definition
AI-generated

Cross-ancestry genetic correlation quantifies how similar the genetic architecture of a trait is between populations—often estimated from GWAS summary statistics as a correlation of causal or tagging effects across SNPs (trans-ethnic ρ-type estimators).

Topics
Post-GWAS
Synonyms
Trans-ethnic genetic correlation
Related
Cross-Population Effect Heterogeneity Genetic Correlation Multi-Ancestry Fine-Mapping

Why it matters in GWAS

It guides trans-ancestry meta-analysis models, expectations for replication, and multi-ancestry polygenic prediction. It is distinct from genetic correlation between two traits within one population.

Example usage

"We estimated cross-ancestry genetic correlation for BMI between European and African ancestry GWAS before joint fine-mapping."

Cross-Population Effect Heterogeneity Genetic Correlation Multi-Ancestry Fine-Mapping Polygenic Risk Score Portability Trans-Ancestry GWAS
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References

  • Brown BC, et al. (2016). Transethnic genetic-correlation estimates from summary statistics. Am J Hum Genet.
  • Galinsky KJ, et al. (2019). Estimating cross-population genetic correlations of causal effect sizes. Genet Epidemiol.
  • Kuchenbaecker K, Navoly G. (2026). Ancestral diversity in complex disease genetics: from discovery to translation. Nat Rev Genet. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41576-025-00921-3
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