Islanders Invited to Participate in NIH Data Collection Project

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and La Palmera are partnering with the National Alliance for Hispanic Health to host the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Journey, a traveling, hands-on exhibit that raises awareness about the All of Us Research Program.

The exhibit will be stationed at the mall Jan. 20-21 and on campus Jan. 22-24.

All of Us is an unprecedented effort to gather genetic, biological, environmental, health, and lifestyle data from 1 million or more volunteer participants living in the United States. The program’s ultimate goal is to accelerate research and improve health.

“Over 38 percent of the U.S. population consists of racial and ethnic minorities, but estimates place the rate of inclusion in research studies between 2 percent and 16 percent. We know one-size-fits-all models do not work since responses to treatment can vary depending on many factors, including genetic background, ethnicity, gender, and lifestyle,” said Dr. Ahmed Mahdy, Vice President for Research and Innovation at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. “The more people who participate, the more meaningful and useful the results of the project will be for our community.” 

All of Us seeks to transform the relationship between researchers and participants, bringing them together as partners to inform the program’s directions, goals, and responsible return of research information. One of those partners is the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, which through its Todos Juntos effort is partnering with organizations across the country, including A&M-Corpus Christi and La Palmera, to provide information on All of Us and demonstrate the central role Hispanic communities must play to usher in the future of health.

“We are bringing the All of Us Research Program directly to people all across the country to continue our work to increase the inclusion of all communities in clinical and biomedical research,” said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. “Through the Journey traveling exhibit we will increase the participation of diverse communities in All of Us to help build the foundation for a new era of health care where medicine is tailored to each person.”

All of Us aims to reflect the rich diversity of the U.S. to help ensure that each community is included in studies that lead to improved health for future generations.

Participants will be able to access their own health information, summary data about the entire participant community and information about studies and findings that come from All of Us.

All of Us Journey locations include:

– La Palmera, 5488 South Padre Island Drive, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 20-21, (last enrollment will take place at 4 p.m. daily)

– Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Curlew Plaza, 6300 Ocean Drive, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Jan. 22-24, (last enrollment will take place at 3 p.m. daily)

To learn more about the program, visit JoinAllofUs.org/juntos.