All of Us Pennsylvania Launch!

June 6th, 2018

 

 

Why do some people who smoke develop lung cancer while others do not? Why are some people with depression helped by medications, but others struggle to find relief? Why are African Americans at a higher risk of having a stroke than whites are? A groundbreaking new study at the University of Pittsburgh called All of Us Pennsylvania seeks to answer medical mysteries and find better ways to prevent and treat disease by looking at information about individuals’ lifestyle, genetics, and environment.

Part of a national study that aims to enroll more than one million people throughout the country, All of Us PA participants are asked to share different types of health and lifestyle information, have basic physical measurements taken, and provide blood and urine samples at various locations in the Pittsburgh region and in Altoona. In the future, participants may also be invited to share data through wearable devices and to join follow-up research studies.

Researchers hope that analyzing information from large numbers of diverse people will allow them to spot patterns and trends in health and disease, and assist scientists with developing tests and treatments based on each person’s specific profile. “The All of Us Research Program is expected to change the way diseases are prevented, diagnosed and treated based on individual differences. By engaging one million Americans nationally, this study will create the largest health research database of its kind to advance precision medicine – an individualized approach to health,” said principal investigator Steven E. Reis, MD.

Interested in Precision Medicine study opportunities? Visit Pitt+Me.