Dr. Mary Makarious recently presented her research with the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) in our Neuroscience Seminar elass. Before her talk, she provided background on the program, which aims to address the need for greater diversity in genetic research, through the research paper titled “Tackling a disease on a global scale, the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program, GP2: A new generation of opportunities.” In her talk, she discussed how most of the data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has been collected from European populations. This oversight can lead to potentially harmful generalizations about the genetic nature of diseases in non-European populations. Dr. Makarious’s research has already revealed important findings, such as differing genetic variants among individuals with Parkinson’s disease who have Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) ancestry.
Diversity in research is essential. This is a common thread tying the work of GP2 with that of Dr. Annette Langer-Gould and her colleagues. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic condition that affects the myelin sheath of axons. It has long been believed to primarily affect White women. However, recent studies have suggested that MS may occur more frequently in non-White populations than previously recognized. The editorial issue titled “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Multiple Sclerosis Prevalence” describes Langer-Gould and her colleagues’ retrospective cohort study to determine whether the prevalence of MS varied by race and ethnicity. Data from over 2.6 million people within Kaiser Permanente Southern California, a large health maintenance organization, was used. The dataset reflected the region’s diversity in ethnicity, age, sex, and socioeconomic status, excluding only the extreme upper and lower ends of the socioeconomic spectrum.
Patients with MS were identified through diagnostic codes, and their diagnoses were confirmed through a review of their medical records. Race and ethnicity were categorized as non-Hispanic White, Hispanic White, Black, Asian or Pacific Islander, other/multiple races and ethnicities, and unknown. Results showed that the average age of patients with prevalent MS was 41.7 years, and 76.8% were women. Age- and sex-standardized MS prevalence was highest among White and Black populations at 237.7 per 100,000 and 225 per 100,000, respectively. Prevalence was significantly lower in the Hispanic population at 69.9 per 100,000 and 22.6 per 100,000 in Asian/Pacific Islander populations. The results of this study align with two previous U.S.-based MS incidence studies and a death certificate study. The results of all four studies contradict the long-standing belief that MS primarily affects White populations, instead demonstrating that MS prevalence is roughly equal among Black and White Americans.
While Langer-Gould’s study is limited to the population of Southern California, Makarious’s project takes a more global approach. Another key distinction is that Makarious focuses on the intersection of genetics and ethnicity in Parkinson’s disease, whereas Langer-Gould examines the underrepresentation and potential misdiagnosis of certain patient populations due to racial bias and systemic barriers. The results of both studies emphasize that diversity in research is not just a matter of inclusion, but of scientific accuracy and equity. Ultimately, research inclusive of diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups strengthens our understanding of neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and MS, leading to more effective, equitable diagnoses and treatments representative of the populations they affect.
References:
Blauwendraat, C et al., Tackling a disease on a global scale, the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program, GP2: A new generation of opportunities, The American Journal of Human Genetics (2025), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2025.07.014
Langer-Gould, Annette M et al. “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Multiple Sclerosis Prevalence.” Neurology vol. 98,18 (2022): e1818-e1827. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000200151
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