Henry Ford Health System in Detroit has been selected as one of several provider organizations to receive a share of a five-year, $5.5 million federal grant to lead data collection on a project that is part of the human genome research and precision medicine program.
The goal of the study, funded by the federal National Institutes of Health, is to better understand how individuals develop diseases based on lifestyle, environmental factors and genetics. The discoveries are hoped to lead to better prevention and treatment options.
"This range of information at the scale of one million people from all walks of life will be an unprecedented resource for researchers working to understand all of the factors that influence health and disease," NIH Dr. Director Francis S. Collins said in a statement.
"Over time, data provided by participants will help us answer important health questions, such as why some people with elevated genetic and environmental risk factors for disease still manage to maintain good health, and how people suffering from a chronic illness can maintain the highest possible quality of life. The more we understand about individual differences, the better able we will be to effectively prevent and treat illness."
The four health system consortiums are Trans-American Consortium for the Health Care Systems Research Network, which includes Henry Ford; California Precision Medicine Consortium; Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pa.; and the New England Precision Medicine Consortium.
In addition to Henry Ford, the Trans-American Consortium also includes Grand Rapids-based Spectrum Health; Baylor Research Institute, Dallas; Essentia Health, Duluth, Minn.; and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester.
The centers initially will receive a combined total of $5.5 million for recruitment and infrastructure, increasing to $16 million as the project advances.
Henry Ford was chosen for its expertise in treating ethnic minority populations who have been underrepresented in biomedical research, the NIH said.
"We're honored to have been chosen as one of the leaders of such a landmark research initiative and to partner with a distinguished group of health care organizations," Henry Ford President Wright Lassiter III said in a statement. "The data we collect could help answer important questions about a variety of health conditions."
Overall, the grant is part of the NIH's $55 million total awards to launch the Cohort Program of President Obama's Precision Medicine Initiative.
"The (provider organizations) are also well positioned to enroll over time populations that are often unable to take part in research, such as those with mental illnesses, substance abuse problems, developmental delays and cognitive impairments," the NIH said.