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UC San Diego researchers have been awarded a $5.6 million grant through the Coast-to-Coast Consortium to further efforts with the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program, it was announced Monday.
The program collects a wide range of biosamples, survey responses, physical measurements, electronic health records and data from wearable devices to create a larger genomic database, giving biomedical researchers a greater pool of knowledge to draw from.
Monday’s award follows the program recently returning personalized health-related DNA results to more than 100,000 participants. The funding is intended to help the researchers increase the number and engagement level of participants in the program and data collection and retention.
“This research grant from the NIH to expand the All of Us Program is a testament to the power of collaboration and our commitment to advancing health equity through innovative research,” said Dr. Steven R. Garfin, interim dean of UCSD School of Medicine. “The data collected through the All of Us research program has the ability to drive discoveries that will benefit diverse populations across the globe, and we’re proud to be a part of this effort.”
According to the university, returning results to participants involves examining a specific set of genes that are associated with certain serious health conditions, such as hereditary cancers and heart disease. Through this process, the program observed 32,500 DNA variants. More than 7,000 of these variants had never been observed among people who had previously had genetic testing.
“The All of Us Program provides an unprecedented opportunity to include diverse populations in large-scale genomic research,” said Dr. Amy Sitapati, interim chief of the Division of Biomedical Informatics at UCSD School of Medicine and the principal investigator for the grant. “By including individuals from historically underrepresented communities, we can uncover insights into genetic variations that may have been overlooked in the past, ultimately leading to more equitable health care for all.
“What’s most exciting is the NIH’s commitment to sharing data, including genetic results, with participants,” she said. “This engagement empowers community researchers to not only join, but also participate as researchers themselves.”
Since it was established, the All of Us team at UCSD has enrolled more than 12,500 local participants in the program, 86% of which come from communities “traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research.”
The team at UC San Diego enrolls participants in San Diego County and Imperial County, including El Centro and Calexico, in collaboration with El Centro Regional Medical Center.
To learn more or enroll, visit AllofUsUCSD.org.
–City News Service