Emerging genomic studies across Africa are revealing how decades of population bias have constrained understanding of disease mechanisms. New evidence in Parkinson disease genetics illustrates how overlooking Africa’s vast genetic diversity not only limits scientific insight but also slows the development of medical and biotechnological innovations that are vital for advancing global health.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$32.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$189.00 per year
only $15.75 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024: Online Edition (United Nations, 2024).
Fan, S. et al. African evolutionary history inferred from whole genome sequence data of 44 indigenous African populations. Genome Biol. 20, 82 (2019).
Pereira, L., Mutesa, L., Tindana, P. & Ramsay, M. African genetic diversity and adaptation inform a precision medicine agenda. Nat. Rev. Genet. 22, 284–306 (2021).
Mills, M. C. & Rahal, C. The GWAS Diversity Monitor tracks diversity by disease in real time. Nat. Genet. 52, 242–243 (2020).
Schumacher-Schuh, A. F. et al. Underrepresented populations in Parkinson’s genetics research: current landscape and future directions. Mov. Disord. 37, 1593–1604 (2022).
Rizig, M. et al. Identification of genetic risk loci and causal insights associated with Parkinson’s disease in African and African admixed populations: a genome-wide association study. Lancet Neurol. 22, 1015–1025 (2023).
Ojo, O. O. et al. GBA1 rs3115534 is associated with REM sleep behavior disorder in Parkinson’s disease in Nigerians. Mov. Disord. 39, 728–733 (2024).
Álvarez Jerez, P. et al. African ancestry neurodegeneration risk variant disrupts an intronic branchpoint in GBA1. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 31, 1955–1963 (2024).
Akçimen, F. et al. Large-scale genetic characterization of Parkinson’s disease in the African and African admixed populations. Brain https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaf379 (2025).
Tallman, S. et al. Missing genetic diversity impacts variant prioritisation for rare disorders. Preprint at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.12.24311664 (2024).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
M.R. and M.S. are both members of the GP2 programme; however, neither contributed to the data analysis or participated in the writing, reviewing or editing of ref. 9.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rizig, M., Salama, M. Genetic insights from Parkinson disease in African and African admixed populations. Nat Rev Neurol 22, 71–72 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-025-01177-5
Published:
Version of record:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-025-01177-5