Study on 400,000 individuals finds genes for educational attainment

11. May 2016

This study is the second effort coordinated by the Social Science Genetics Association Consortium (SSGAC) to which LIGA contributed data from the Berlin Aging Study II. This newest analysis employed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach in 300,000 persons searching for genetic determinants of educational achievement, the largest-ever genetics study in the social sciences. A total of 74 loci were revealed to show genome-wide significant association with years of schooling. The identified loci were enriched for genomic regions regulating gene expression in the fetal brain. The study was published in the journal Nature.

To learn more about the details of our study, the SSGAC has compiled a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), which can be accessed here. The paper was also featured in Nature’s news section.