Governor Doug Ducey proclaims March “Arizonans in Health Research Month”

PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 14, 2022) - The All of Us Research Program University of Arizona-Banner Health will reach a significant milestone when it enrolls its 50,000th participant this month. To honor the participants and encourage involvement in health research, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey proclaimed March “Arizonans in Health Research Month.” 

"Many of the country's top health research facilities and research institutions reside in Arizona and produce cutting-edge research that is essential to saving lives," said Governor Ducey. "The work of the University of Arizona-Banner Health All of Us Research Program is a great example of the vital work taking place to help our citizens. We appreciate the work of all Arizonans who participate in health research and the scientists who are advancing the industry in our state."

An initiative of the National Institutes of Health, the All of Us Research Program, led by University of Arizona and Banner Health in Arizona and Colorado, aims to build one of the largest and most diverse databases of health information of its kind. This national resource may help accelerate health research as researchers can use the data to study thousands of diseases. All of Us UArizona-Banner leads the nation in enrollment in this important health initiative. 

“We are extremely grateful to our research participants and our University of Arizona, Banner and community colleagues for their contributions to this important program,” said Eric Reiman, MD, CEO of Banner Research and one of the program’s principal investigators. “Together, we have begun to provide a shared resource of protected health data and biological samples to help find the right treatments for the right people at the right time, including those from historically underrepresented groups.”

Nationwide, more than 320,000 people have joined the All of Us Research Program. The participants reflect the rich diversity of the United States, with 50% from racial and ethnic communities that have traditionally been underrepresented in health research. 50,000 of those participants come from Arizona.

“I am so proud of the Arizona All of Us team for achieving this amazing and outstanding milestone,” says Monica Kraft, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and contact principal investigator for All of Us UArizona-Banner. “That so many participants are from diverse backgrounds speaks volumes about their interest and commitment to health-related research, not just for themselves but for our community and country.  The state of Arizona has been and will continue to be a major contributor to the All of Us effort, which will provide a foundation to understand genetic origins of disease for years to come.”

Once a participant is enrolled, personal details from the data that could identify participants are removed before their information is made available for researchers to study. There are currently more than 1,100 studies being conducted using All of Us data.

"The All of Us database will be invaluable for the scientific community moving forward. All of Us is a resource at the forefront of genetic research. It has the potential to accelerate discoveries and is likely to lead to more tailored medical approaches in the future. A wealth of data from hospital records, from the human genome and from participants themselves is just waiting to be investigated. Unlike much research in the past, All of Us reflects the rich diversity of the United States, which is critical to ensure all groups benefit from future scientific discoveries,” says Jason Karnes, PharmD, PhD, BCPS, FAHA, associate professor of pharmacy practice and science in the UArizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy and director of scientific programs for All of Us UArizona-Banner.

Researchers are studying how factors like genetics, environment and lifestyle affect the way in which diseases and medications impact individuals. Study topics include heart health, hypertension, cancer, mental health and more. In Arizona, there are more than 40 researchers conducting studies on everything from how sociocultural factors impact health disparities to risks and consequences of Valley fever to predictors of endometriosis.

In the future, these studies could lead to new health discoveries and improve health for generations to come.

The next health discovery could come from Arizona.

To learn more, or to enroll, visit AllofUsAZ.org/arizona or call 877-268-2684.

The University of Arizona-Banner Health Program is supported under the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program funding award OT2OD026549 with previous awards UG3OD023171-01 and UG3OD023171-01S1 and the CEAL funding award OT2-HL156812.

“All of Us” and the All of Us logo are registered service marks of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).

Photos and video available: https://arizona.box.com/s/fpa8edayn41a9ozr5jrhrxvf7n03epkx

Reporters and editors: Please note that the University of Arizona Health Sciences is separately recognized from the University of Arizona, similar to other academic health centers across the country. The preferred first reference is University of Arizona Health Sciences; the preferred second reference is UArizona Health Sciences.

Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 30 acute-care hospitals, Banner Health Network, Banner – University Medicine, Banner Medical Group, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services, including Banner Urgent Care, family clinics, home care and hospice services, pharmacies and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information visit www.BannerHealth.com.

Located on campuses in Tucson and Phoenix, the University of Arizona Health Sciences is one of the top-ranked academic medical centers in the southwestern United States. UArizona Health Sciences includes the College of Medicine – Phoenix, College of Medicine – Tucson, College of Nursing, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, and R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. In addition, 12 UArizona Health Sciences centers and programs focus on cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, pain and addiction, and respiratory diseases; biomedical informatics, health technology innovation and simulation training; and precision health care and health disparities. A leader in next-generation education, biomedical research and public outreach, UArizona Health Sciences employs nearly 5,000 people, has approximately 4,000 students and 900 faculty members, and garners more than $220 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: uahs.arizona.edu (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram).