MultiMeta: an R package for meta-analyzing multi-phenotype genome-wide association studies

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Bioinformatics
• Statistical genomics

Background:

• Advancements in multivariate analysis for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) necessitate methods for combining results from different cohorts.
• Meta-analysis is crucial for increasing statistical power and generalizability of GWAS findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the R package MultiMeta, designed for multivariate meta-analysis of GWAS data.
• To provide an accessible tool for researchers to combine results from multiple independent studies.

Main Methods:

• The MultiMeta package implements an inverse-variance-based meta-analysis method.
• This method is generalized to an n-dimensional setting, accommodating complex multivariate data structures.

Main Results:

• The R package MultiMeta offers a practical implementation of advanced meta-analysis techniques.
• Facilitates the integration of results from diverse genome-wide association studies.

Conclusions:

• MultiMeta enhances the capability to perform robust meta-analyses in the context of rapidly evolving multivariate GWAS methods.
• The package is available for download from CRAN, promoting wider adoption and application in genetic research.