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The NIH All of Us program will visit UAMS March 5-9.
Public Invited to Learn About, Sign Up for Historic Research Volunteer Program at UAMS
| NOTE: This release has been updated to reflect a change in the All of Us Exhibit and Enrollment Center schedule at UAMS. The traveling exhibit/center will be on the UAMS Little Rock campus through Friday, March 8, not Saturday, as previously planned.
LITTLE ROCK — The public is invited to the traveling National Institutes of Health (NIH) program that aims to educate and sign up research volunteers March 5 – 8 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
The NIH All of Us Educational Exhibit and Enrollment Center is part of its nationwide effort to recruit more than 1 million diverse volunteers. Those who join the program will fill out surveys, give their physical measurements, provide blood and urine samples and allow researchers to track their health over many years.
The goal of the historic effort is to accelerate research and improve health, especially in the area of precision or individualized medicine. The information gathered from volunteers will serve as a national research resource to inform thousands of health-related studies, covering a wide variety of health conditions.
The All of Us Journey to UAMS is designed to raise public awareness about the research program and to allow those interested to join the program while there.
“Research drives the lifesaving advances in medicine, but it wouldn’t be possible without participation from the public,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA. “I encourage all Arkansans, and all UAMS employees, to visit the exhibit. It’s an exciting program that will help us understand how our contributions can lead to more individualized treatments.”
The new mobile exhibit will be at 4600 West 7th St. (corner of 7th and Hooper Drive, across from the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute). It will be open to the public:
- Tuesday, March 5, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 6, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Thursday, March 7, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Friday, March 8, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The exhibit includes:
- A virtual reality experience that teaches people how medical breakthroughs have made a difference in the world
- A waiting area that offers a comfortable space for people to sign up for the program online
- Private rooms for physical measurement and biosample collection
- An interactive station where participants can write a note to share with others about their inspiration for joining the program
According to the NIH, the data that is collected will help researchers learn how individual differences in lifestyle, environment and biological makeup can influence health and disease. Participants may be able to learn more about their own health and contribute to health improvement for generations to come.
Those interested may also join the All of Us program at: https://www.joinallofus.org. Learn more at: https://allofus.nih.gov/
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health and Healthcare Innovation. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,727 students, 870 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.