The UW School of Medicine and Public Health is teaming up with its statewide partners to enroll people in a new precision medicine research program, which opened nationally in early May.

The school is an enrollment site for the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program.

The program focuses on precision medicine, which is health care that takes into account individual differences in lifestyle, environment and biology.

All of Us Wisconsin at UW-Madison is led by Dorothy Edwards, PhD, professor, Department of Kinesiology and director of the Collaborative Center for Health Equity, and communication engagement lead for All of Us Wisconsin, and Marc K. Drezner, MD, professor, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and director of the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR), where the project team is located. [Editor's note: Allan Brasier, MD will assume directorship of ICTR later this summer.]

“The All of Us Research Program is an exciting, unique opportunity for everyone to play an active role in modern medicine for the benefit of future generations,” Dr. Edwards said.

The Wisconsin team, and other partner organizations across the United States, plans to gather health information from 1 million or more people to help create individualized prevention, treatment and care.

Participants in the program will be asked to share their electronic health records and answer questions through online surveys. Some participants will be asked to have basic physical measurements taken and submit samples of blood and urine.

Participants will have online access to their health information with the option to share the data with their health care providers, if they choose to do so.

In time, approved researchers can access this data, which will comprise the largest health database of its kind, to explore how factors like environment, lifestyle and genes can impact health.

This may help develop new medical treatments that are unique to individuals, lead to significant discoveries to treat various diseases and empower Americans to live healthier lives.

“We view this program as an exciting opportunity to create a healthier future for everyone,” Dr. Edwards said. “We hope the UW community will be eager to join us in this historic research effort.”

For more information, including how to participate, visit the All of Us Wisconsin website atallofus.wisc.edu, email allofus@hslc.wisc.edu, or call 888-294-2661.