Research Roundup

New Data Release: Filling Out the Pandemic Picture

New data has been added to the All of Us Researcher Workbench! This is the second major infusion of data since the workbench launched in May 2020 and features data from surveys, electronic health records (EHRs), and Fitbits.

More than 35,000 responses to the COVID-19 Participant Experience (COPE) Surveyaugment the 63,000 already included in the workbench, including responses on participants’ experiences with COVID-19. This release also includes data from more than 11,600 participants who linked their personal Fitbit data, such as number of daily steps or heart rate.

Read the full story.

Spotlight: COPE survey sheds light on the pandemic’s effects on physical and mental health

Holly Garriock, Ph.D., and Jordan Smoller, M.D., Sc.D., were part of a research team that designed the recurring COVID-19 Participant Experience (COPE) survey. Starting in May 2020, All of Us released the COPE survey several times to learn about changes in participants’ daily life, health, and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses to the survey offered a real-time understanding of how a diverse set of people experienced a major public health crisis. In a new spotlight, Dr. Garriock and Dr. Smoller share their perspective on the long-term vision for the survey and its key research benefits.

Read the Spotlight.

Featured Publications

These recently published studies demonstrate the power and potential of the diverse All of Us dataset to power research:

Chandler, P. D., Clark, C. R., Zhou, G., Noel, N. L., Achilike, C., Mendez, L., . . . Karlson, E. W. (2021). Hypertension prevalence in the All of Us Research Program among groups traditionally underrepresented in medical research. Sci Rep, 11(12849). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92143-w.
Karnes, J. H., Arora, A., Feng, J., Steiner, H. E., Sulieman, L., Boerwinkle, E., . . . Klimentidis, Y. C. (2021). Racial, ethnic, and gender differences in obesity and body fat distribution: An All of Us Research Program demonstration project. PLOS ONE, 16(8), e0255583. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255583.
Leasure, A. C., Acosta, J. N., Both, C., Szejko, N., Brown, S. C., Sheth, K. N., & Falcone, G. J. (2021). Stroke disparities among nonracial minorities in the All of Us Research Program. Stroke, 52, e488–e490. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.121.034903..
Leasure, A. C., Damsky, W., & Cohen, J. M. (2021), Comorbidities associated with granuloma annulare: A case-control study in the All of Us research program. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2021.07.033.
Leasure, A. C., Damsky, W., & Cohen, J. M. (2021), Prevalence of granuloma annulare in the United States: A cross-sectional study in the All of Us Research Program. Int J Dermatol. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/ijd.15832.
Acosta, J. N., Leasure, A. C., Both, C. P., Szejko, N., Brown, S., Torres‐Lopez, V., . . . Falcone, G. J. (2021). Cardiovascular health disparities in racial and other underrepresented groups: initial results from the All of Us Research Program. Journal of the American Heart Association. 10, e021724. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.121.021724..

Funding Opportunities

Check out the latest funding opportunities:

The National Institutes of Health recently announced a $9.1 million funding opportunity aimed at increasing the number of early-stage investigators and new investigators, particularly those from groups historically underrepresented in health-related sciences. As part of this Request for Application (RFA), All of Us intends to fund up to three awards for a total of $2.3 million for fiscal year 2022.. Learn more and apply by February 22
The Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program is an NIH-wide initiative designed to facilitate the transition of promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds into independent, research-intensive faculty careers in institutions. MOSAIC scholars come from diverse scientific backgrounds, and 75% are from racial/ethnic groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. Applications for the MOSAIC scholar awards (K99/R00) are due October 27. Applications for the institutional awards for cohort-based mentoring and career development that support the scholars (UE5) are due November 18.
The Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) Cohort aims to transform culture at NIH-funded extramural institutions by building a community of scientists committed to diversity and inclusive excellence. Prospective applicants can get more information on the NIH Common Fund website, including a technical assistance webinar and frequently updated FAQ. Applications are due Friday, September 24.

All of Us News

Check out the latest news:

All of Us has selected Karriem Watson, D.H.Sc., M.S., M.P.H., as its new chief engagement officer. Dr. Watson will oversee the program’s strong network of community partners, participant ambassadors, and research organizations with a focus on engaging people who have been left out of medical research in the past. Read more.
The All of Us Researcher Workbench will implement new researcher access policies for new users. All of Us researchers will now be prompted to sign into their Workbench accounts using their Login.gov account. This new process will allow for broader and more secure access to the Workbench
The National Institutes of Health recently awarded $8.7 million to seven national community partners to strengthen recruitment of both All of Us participants and researchers who have been underrepresented in biomedical research. Learn more.
All of Us has awarded a total of $8.7 million to seven national community partners to strengthen recruitment of participants and researchers underrepresented in biomedical research: American Association on Health and Disability, Asian Health Coalition, Baylor College of Medicine, FiftyForward, National Alliance for Hispanic Health, National Baptist Convention USA Inc., and Stanford University. As part of the new award, these partners will build networks of community organizations and engage with health care provider organizations (HPOs) and other partners to promote enrollment and recruitment. Additionally, many will engage with researchers from underrepresented groups and help advance the science of engagement.
Martin Mendoza, Ph.D., has been selected as the new Director of Health Equity for the All of Us Research Program. This is a new role on the All of Us senior leadership team. Dr. Mendoza will sit in the Division of Medical and Scientific Research and use his expertise to address health equity at All of Us. Learn more about Dr. Mendoza and his work.
Recently, an All of Us partner hosted the Minority Student Research Symposium, inviting underrepresented minority students to complete a research project using data from the public Data Browser tool on the Research Hub. Student researchers were featured from the University of Alabama and the University of the District of Columbia. Take a look at some of the highlighted projects and an overview of the event.
The All of Us Division of User Experience invites you to join a growing pool of researchers who provide feedback on All of Us researcher products, services, and experiences before they “go live.” Time commitments vary and you can choose whether or not to participate in different studies. Studies are compensated up to $200 per hour. Please fill out this Google form if you are interested in joining the user research pool.
Last month, All of Us reached a program milestone with 1,000 researchers now registered to use the Researcher Workbench data and tools. Access to the data from our diverse participant cohort is a crucial step in driving health discoveries. Learn how to apply to become an All of Us researcher.
The NIH Director’s blog recently featured All of Us researcher Sally Baxter, M.D., M.Sc., and her work leveraging predictive analytics and EHR data to prevent vision loss from glaucoma.

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