About the Lab
The Gouveia Lab is a bioinformatics research group based at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) within the Department of Public Health Education, with affiliations to the Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine and the Cardiovascular Research Institute. The lab focuses on an integrative approach that brings together population genetics, genetic epidemiology, and ancestry-aware genomics. This includes genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and admixture mapping, which tests whether DNA segments with an excess of a specific ancestry are associated with differential odds of disease or other complex traits (e.g., height).
We leverage the fact that continental ancestries (e.g., African and European) are not homogeneous but are composed of diverse subcontinental ancestries (e.g., North and South European). Because all human populations are admixed to varying degrees, individual genomes are mosaics of DNA segments derived from different ancestral origins, a concept known as local ancestry. A central focus of our research is the integration of subcontinental and local ancestry into genetic association studies to facilitate discovery of disease- and trait-associated variants while reducing false-positive findings. We further leverage local ancestry to identify ancestry-enriched associations using admixture mapping.
Leveraging large-scale biobanks, including the All of Us Research Program, we investigate how fine-scale genetic variation shapes disease susceptibility, resilience, and the performance of polygenic risk scores. Our goal is to ensure that genomic discoveries and precision medicine tools are accurate and informative for all populations, not only those of predominantly European ancestry.
The mission of the Gouveia Lab aligns with MSM’s institutional mission and its global leadership in advancing health equity. We develop rigorous computational and statistical frameworks to capture human genetic diversity at high resolution and translate these insights into a deeper understanding of complex diseases and more equitable precision medicine
We place a strong emphasis on:
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Subcontinental and local ancestry inference
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Ancestry-aware genome-wide association studies
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Facilitating admixture mapping
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Discovery of common and ancestry-enriched genetic associations
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Generation of accurate polygenic risk scores
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Training the next generation of multi-disciplinary scientists
Current Team
Mateus H. Gouveia, PhD
Assistant Professor of Genetics (PI)
Dr. Gouveia is a population geneticist and genetic epidemiologist whose research examines how fine-scale ancestry and evolutionary history shape the genetic architecture of complex diseases. He has extensive experience leading genome-wide studies in multi-ancestry populations, including admixed Latin American populations, African Americans, and continental African cohorts.
Dr. Thiago Peixoto Leal
Senior Scientist
Dr. Thiago Peixoto Leal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei and both a Master’s and PhD in Bioinformatics from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil. He previously spent nearly ten years working at the Human Genetic Diversity Laboratory alongside one of the leading population geneticists in Brazil.
Thais Tavares, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Tavares is a postdoctoral researcher with a background in molecular biology and bioinformatics. Her work lies at the intersection of population genomics and precision medicine, focusing on how genetic variation, ancestry, and evolutionary history shape disease risk in diverse and admixed populations, particularly those that have been historically underrepresented.
Victoria E. Brown, MPH
Graduate Research Assistant
Victoria E. Brown is a Master of Public Health from Morehouse School of Medicine and a population genetics trainee with interests in approaching genetic, neurological, and oncology-related research through a health-equity lens. Her work focuses on understanding how genetic ancestry, social determinants of health, and structural inequities can shape disease risk, progression, and outcomes in historically underrepresented populations.
Support for the Gouveia Lab enables research advancing precision medicine, health equity, global health, and the training of future multidisciplinary scientists. Funders interested in supporting the Gouveia Lab are invited to contact the Grants and Contracts Office at Morehouse School of Medicine.
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