A few weeks ago, an exchange student came to the lab to be with us for only a short time. I tried to explain to her some opportunities within the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program , but I realized that as I tried to explain to her what it was and how it worked, I was this person:
I know that many people here in the community are already familiar with GP2, but this post is aimed at those who are hearing about it for the first time or need to explain it to someone from zero.
GP2 is an international effort to better understand the genetic architecture of Parkinson’s disease in the world. Within the program, there are different key components. Obviously we need to recruit participants, collect clinical data and genetic samples. Process these and integrate them. From there, we can now perform bioinformatic and statistical analyses, ask new scientific questions, produce manuscripts, etc. All of these happen within GP2, but how? Luckily, there is a strong structure to help us at any of these stages.
Ok, so let’s say that you work in a hospital or clinic that cares for patients with Parkinson’s and have a cohort and you would like to include it in GP2, you could contact the Cohort Integration Working Group. Also, if you have identified families with suspect monogenic PD and you wish to submit them to GP2, you could also contact the Monogenic Networkfor additional guidance. (PS, GP2 also works with big Consortium such as LARGE-PD, so you can submit directly or through a local consortium)
Then, data must be harmonized and available to browse and analyze. At least twice a year there is an update with a sample size/metadata increase. Last one is Release 9. I won’t go too deep into it, if you want to analyze the available data you can request access and use cloud-based platforms Terra or Verily Workbench to run your usual R/Python/Bash commands.
But what if you don’t have idea on how to analyze the data? Do not worry, because the Training Working Group has your back. They have available recorded courses on several topics, besides hosting Regional Workshops and offering scholarships for master and PhD students.
It is important to mention that not everyone involved in GP2 will participate in all activities, as there are different backgrounds, interests, and working conditions.
In addition to those mentioned, there are many “Inside” groups that support GP2’s operations.
I hope this covers the basics of what GP2 does and how you can be involved. If there’s anything important that I may have forgotten, please write it down in the comments!