The National Institutes of Health launched the beta stage of its "All of Us" precision medicine project June 5, according to an online statement by the project's director, Eric Dishman.
The All of Us Research Program, which is part of the federal Precision Medicine Initiative, aims to engage more than 1 million participants in sharing biological samples, genetic data and lifestyle information. The beta stage will start with a single site and expand to more than 100 sites before the full launch. The program aims to enroll a few participants each day during the beta stage, with a goal to test 10,000 participants across the country.
The researchers will test participants on staggered schedules through early fall, according to Mr. Dishman. During the research phase, participants will submit basic health information via questionnaires. Researchers may also ask them to provide access to their EHRs or go to local clinics to give blood and urine samples, among other more extensive data collection methods.
The All of Us project hopes to create a resource for future precision medicine studies. "By providing information about their health, lifestyles and environments over the course of many decades, these volunteers will be important partners in helping create an unprecedented research resource to drive future discoveries," Mr. Dishman wrote.
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