Reviewed by: Patience Itson
Why this UAB professor supports the All of Us Research Program + why you will too
Reading time: 4 minutes
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Did you know that The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is participating in National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program? It’s a special program that aims to accelerate health research and medical breakthroughs by learning more about the factors that affect health and disease.
To find out more about it, we spoke with Dr. Shauntice Allen, a UAB professor and member of the All of Us Southern Network‘s leadership team. Here’s what we discovered.
About the All of Us Research Program
Not familiar with the All of Us Research Program? Spearheaded by the National Institutes of Health, All of Us is a national research program that seeks to build a diverse dataset of participants from all backgrounds on a massive scale. In fact, All of Us aims to enroll 1,000,000 or more participants nationwide!
Using the data collected by All of Us, researchers are able to use the data to study how biology, lifestyle and environment affect health. In fact, All of Us currently has the largest, most diverse biomedical research database available to researchers who register. The more participants join, the more information researchers will have to impact the future of health.
Some data collected by All of Us is publicly available and can be viewed online via this link.
As of November 2022, more than 794,000 people have begun their enrollment journey by online accounts at JoinAllofUs.org.
Click here to learn more about the All of Us Research Program.
Why participate in All of Us Research? Dr. Shautice Allen shares her thoughts.
To learn why people should participate in the All of Us Research Program, we spoke with Dr. Shauntice Allen, Engagement Lead for the Southern Network of All of Us.
Originally from Montgomery, Dr. Allen has over 15 years of experience in community engagement research and has served in various roles at UAB for 18 years. Recently, she was approached by All of Us to become part of their leadership team for its Southern Network.
Why should someone consider enrolling in the All of Us Research Program?
“The benefits of participating may vary from one enrollee to another. One may really appreciate the opportunity to learn about certain health-related results that can be shared with their provider, where someone else may place more value on being involved in other studies, such as the Precision Nutrition Health Study. The innovative science and treatments that come from precision medicine is an overall benefit of enrolling in the All of Us Research program.”
Dr. Shauntice Allen, Engagement Lead, All of Us Research’s Southern Network
How to enroll in All of Us Research
Participation in All of Us is simple and can be done in six simple steps on the All of Us Research Program website:
- Create an account
- Give your consent
- Agree to share your electronic health records
- Complete the Consent Form to Get DNA Results
- Answer health surveys
- Have your measurements taken (height, weight, blood pressure, etc.) and give blood and urine samples, if asked
Steps one through five can be completed online, via the free All of Us app or in-person at one of UAB’s clinic locations or at a local event.
“Take some time to look at the All of Us website and ask questions. Know that as a participant, you are also a true partner in this work and really do help shape the program.”
Dr. Shauntice Allen, Engagement Lead, All of Us Research’s Southern Network
Learn more about the All of Us Research Program by visiting their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.
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