OpenGWAS

Summary

OpenGWAS is a database and REST API containing billions of genetic association records across thousands of GWAS datasets. Developed and maintained by the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, it acts as the primary data resource for automated Mendelian Randomization analyses in the TwoSampleMR pipeline.

Features

• Comprehensive Storage: Holds summary statistics for molecular traits, disease outcomes, and intermediate phenotypes (as of 2026-07-19).
• Programmatic Integration: Connects with R packages via the ieugwasr client library.
• Standardization: Organizes diverse GWAS outputs into a queryable, harmonized format, removing barriers to data sharing and causal discovery.

Citations

• Elsworth, B. et al. (2020). The MRC IEU OpenGWAS data infrastructure. bioRxiv. DOI: 10.1101/2020.08.10.244228
• Sanderson, E. et al. (2026). Challenges and future directions for Mendelian randomization. Nature Genetics, 58(5), 984–994. DOI: 10.1038/s41588-026-02546-6. Source paper: s41588-026-02546-6.pdf