The University of Arizona Health Sciences-Banner Health has received the largest National Institute of Health (NIH) grant award in the state’s history. The $60 million, five-year award will fund the university’s All of Us Research Program, which will include Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaskan Native participants and communities.
Launched in May, the program is tied to a national study of one million participants. The goal is to build one of the world’s largest databases for precision health care. With the collected data, researchers will seek to:
- Develop ways to measure risk for a range of diseases based on environment, genetics and lifestyle.Identify causes of individual differences in response to commonly used drugs.
- Discover biological markers that signal risks of developing common diseases.
- Provide information to participants that can help improve their own health.
“The All of Us Research Program will change the way we do research,” NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins stated in a university UA News press release. “Participants will be partners in research, not subjects, and will have access to a wide range of study results. What we’re doing with the All of Us Research Program is intersecting with other fundamental changes in medicine and research to empower Americans to live healthier lives.”