The “All of Us” traveling exhibit will be stationed outside the College of Humanities and Social Sciences building until Thursday. The exhibit is part of a research program that serves as a tool for education, engagement and enrollment.

Outreach and engagement manager Jennifer Reyes said, because of the program, researchers have discovered 118 previously unknown genetic variants. A discovery made possible through studying DNA and electronic health data shared by the program.

“Research like this ​may ​​​make precision medicine possible for more diseases in the future,” Reyes said. 

Keita Hall, one of the tour managers, said the main goal of the program is to build the largest diverse database for health researchers to pull from. Hall said they are in year eight of the 10 year program.

“We go across the US and help speed up the development of having that individualized health research,” Hall said. 

She said another goal of the exhibit is to provide better medicines and treatments instead of “The current one size fits all.”

Hall said she joined the program accidentally while doing research on social media. She said she noticed how transparent the program was and how it touched on the reason underrepresented communities haven’t participated in the past.

“And this kind of drew me in, because I know how unfortunate it is,” Hall said. “A lot of us are not represented and without that aspect, we can’t change any medicine or treatment.” 

Those interested in participating start by filling out a consent form on the “All of Us” website. Afterwards, they do their bio samples which includes blood, urine and health measurements.

“I personally did it,” Hall said, “And it took me about 35 minutes in order to do the consent forms, as well as doing my blood and urine options. Some people take less. Some people take more.”

Hall said that it’s a personal decision if someone wants to participate in the program.

“We don’t have diversity when it comes to how we are represented. We need medicine. We need treatments that are not a trial and error aspect,” Hall said.

If people want to participate but don’t want to go through all of the biosamples, taking the surveys helps as well.

“Even if people do not want to fully participate, every little bit counts.” Hall said. 

The program goes across the country in order to get diverse data regarding health and medicine.

“The health researchers only have a certain group. Currently, our medicine and treatment is mostly based on older caucasian men. That leaves out so many different types of people.”

Hall said it goes beyond ethnicities. It includes nutrition, environment and lifestyle. “All of those things contribute to have medicine and treatment effects,” Hall said.

By taking the data from the program, researchers are able to better understand health and disease which can better identify risk factors for certain diseases, connect the dots between people’s genes, lifestyles and environments. The data is also able to help researchers identify health needs and improve health outcomes for communities. 

Hall said both her and her mother have endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition occurring when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, causing potential pelvic pain and infertility. 

Endometriosis, while it’s been around for years, does not have a cure, “Hopefully in the future, the health researchers will be able to find a cure, either in this generation or the next generation,” Hall said.

Josh Denny, the CEO of the program, has a son with a rare genetic disease and his experience with the disease has turned out different than others with the same disease. 

“They had never seen a patient kind of like him. And so as we toured the country finding physicians to help guide us in his care and how to treat him, it’s been very personally relevant,” Denny said. 

Carolyn Denny, Josh Denny’s wife, said their research isn’t just going to help those with his disease but other people with other diseases. 

“And I mean, that’s what’s super exciting is that we’re doing it not just for one particular niche but for any health care issue that Americans have,” she said. 

Those interested in the research program can visit the bus parked in front of the Humanities building near the Heritage Plaza Lawn before Thursday at 3:15 p.m. or visit their website at JoinAllofUs.org/drive.

Categories: News