Orlando receives R01 grant to study genomics in unique populations

Dr. Lori Orlando, Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine), has been awarded $3.8 million in funding for a research grant (R01) titled “Deploying a genomic-medicine risk assessment model for diverse primary care populations and settings” from the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health. 

“This proposal takes the next step in understanding how to assess and manage disease risk in community clinic populations that don’t have easy access to the usual genetic resources that those of us in academic centers do," says Orlando. "Our goal is to understand how to bring genetics to those in rural, inner city, and medically underserved areas so they can benefit from the same advances in healthcare the rest of us are.”

The study team will be implementing a genomic and risk assessment pipeline at 5 University of Florida Jacksonville clinics that each have unique populations:

1. rural
2. elderly
3. predominately minority race
4. inner city
5. predominantly Medicaid

Overall the trial will enroll 750 individuals and a stakeholder advisory board will be a part of the study throughout every phase.

Study Team