There is significant enrichment of brain cisSNPs amongst disease-associated variants, advocating gene expression changes as a mechanism for the first time for certain genes implicated in human diseases, including PSP (SLCO1A2), PD (MMRN1), Paget's disease (OPTN) while replicating others (e.g. PD/MAPT, SLE/UC/IRF5). Here, MMRN1 is linked to systemic lupus erythematosus.