Tractor: A framework allowing for improved inclusion of admixed individuals in large-scale association studies

Admixed populations are routinely excluded from medical genomic studies due to concerns over population structure. Here, we present a statistical framework and software package,Tractor,to facilitate the inclusion of admixed individuals in association studies by leveraging local ancestry. We testTractorwith simulations and empirical data focused on admixed African-European individuals.Tractorgenerates ancestryspecific effect size estimates, can boost GWAS power, and improves the resolution of association signals. Using a local ancestry aware regression model, we replicate known hits for blood lipids in admixed populations, discover novel hits missed by standard GWAS procedures, and localize signals closer to putative causal variants.