Happy Fourth of July! It’s the perfect time to fire up the grill, go watch some fireworks, and pay tribute to the vision of all who founded the United States of America. The Fourth of July also stands as a reminder of the many new opportunities that our nation and its people continue to pursue. One of the most exciting is NIH’s All of Us Research Program, which is on the way to enrolling 1 million or more Americans from all walks of life to create a resource that will accelerate biomedical breakthroughs and transform medicine.

What exactly do I mean by “transform?” Today, most medical care is “one-size-fits-all,” not tailored to the unique needs of each individual. In order to change that situation and realize the full promise of precision medicine, researchers need a lot more information about individual differences in lifestyle, environment, and biology. To help move precision medicine research forward, our nation needs people like you to come together through the All of Us program to share information about your health, habits, and what it’s like where you live. All of your information will be protected by clear privacy and security principles.

All of Us welcomes people from across our diverse land. Enrollment in the research program is open to all, and anyone over the age of 18 who is living in the United States can join. Since full enrollment began in May, three of every four volunteers have come from groups traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research. These include people from a multitude of races and ethnicities, as well as folks with disabilities and those who live in remote or rural communities.

So, as you celebrate the birth of the United States this Independence Day, I ask you also to look ahead to our nation’s future and what you can do to make it brighter. One way you can do that is to consider joining me and thousands of other Americans who’ve already signed up for All of Us. Together, we can build a resource that will revolutionize medicine for generations to come. Thanks, and have a safe and glorious Fourth of July!

By Dr. Francis Collins, NIH Director

Links
Join All of Us
All of Us (NIH)
Video: What is All of Us?
Video: All of Us: Importance of Diversity
Video: All of Us Launch
I Handed Over My Genetic Data to the NIH. Here’s Why You Should, Too (STAT)

This content has been re-posted from the NIH Director’s Blog, where it was first published on July 3, 2018.