NIH All of Us Research Program to fund genetic counseling resource

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The National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program has issued a funding opportunity for a genetic counseling resource to support participants who receive genomic testing and receive results.

The project, which plans to sequence the genomes of one million participants, intends to invest in research into how to provide genetic counseling on such a large scale. In September, the NIH awarded $28.6 million to establish three genome centers led by Baylor College of Medicine, the Broad Institute, and the University of Washington, which will generate and analyze genomic data from biosamples contributed by participants in the program.

The next step is to create a genetic counseling resource. “Genomic data can include important health information, such as how a person might respond to a medicine or whether they are at heightened risk for a specific disease,” and genomic counseling services will be important in addressing participants’ concerns and questions, the NIH said in announcing the funding opportunity. Read more …