NIH funding will support MemorialCare, UC Irvine, and LLU Health partnership to transform the future of precision health research

MemorialCare joins the National Institutes of Health's Southern California-based consortium for the nationwide All of Us Research Program. The goal of the consortium is to ensure everyone is included and represented in research.

Fady Youssef, M.D., principal investigator at MemorialCare, will join lead investigator, Hoda Anton-Culver, Ph.D., a Donald Bren Professor and Distinguished Professor of medicine at UC Irvine and an investigator from Loma Linda University Health on the All of Us Southern California Consortium. The consortium will enroll participants that reflect the diversity of the U.S., including people who identify with communities historically underrepresented in research, such as those of minority race and ethnicity groups, socioeconomic levels, gender identity and sexual orientation, cultural diversity, and occupational and environmental exposure.

Eligible adults in the U.S. can join the research program. Enrollment locations at MemorialCare's three acute adult hospitals in Long Beach, Fountain Valley, and Laguna Hills, as well as UCI Health and LLU Health, make it easy and accessible for patients and residents.

"MemorialCare's expansive network-from primary care offices to three acute care hospitals and a children's hospital - will help us bring greater access to the All of Us Research to the communities we serve," said Dr. Youssef. "I'm thrilled to be part of a study that is moving to bring more health equity to research by representing those often not a part of previous research to improve health outcomes in underserved communities."

Launched in 2018, the All of Us Research Program is a major initiative by the National Institutes of Health to gather health data from one million or more people living in the United States. The program is building one of the most diverse health databases in history to accelerate precision medicine research and improve health by considering individual differences in lifestyle, environment and biology. By participating, individuals can contribute to a repository of data for researchers to better understand health and disease, and potentially develop more personalized approaches to treatments and interventions.

The All of Us Research Program has already enrolled more than 820,000 participants nationwide. It is one of the largest, most diverse databases of its kind with over 80% of participants identifying with a community who is underrepresented in biomedical research, including approximately 45% who are underrepresented by race and ethnicity. Joining the All of Us Southern California Consortium builds upon MemorialCare's dedication and efforts to provide equitable care to patients.

Nearly 12,000 researchers nationwide are registered to use the All of Us data, including MemorialCare. The goal of the All of Us Research Program is to build a new body of knowledge that has the potential to advance health care for all people.

Accredited by the Association of Human Research Protections Programs, MemorialCare is a leader in conducting scientifically sound research. With over 300 ongoing research projects at any given time, MemorialCare's research program brings the latest clinical devices and treatments to the community, ensuring that innovative treatment options are always available closer to home.

"This nationwide research will provide tremendous opportunities for collaboration among researchers, health care providers, and institutions - accelerating scientific discoveries and innovations," said Dr. Youssef.

To learn more about the All of Us Research Program, please visit joinallofus.org.

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