UC Irvine Receives $4.2 Million NIH Award to Continue All of Us Enrollment and to Study Cardiometabolic Health in Underrepresented Communities

Collaborative project supported by the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program and National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities explores genetics, environment and lifestyle factors.

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 15, 2026 — The University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) has received a $4.2 million award from the National Institutes of Health to continue enrollment in the All of Us Research Program and to support the investigation of cardiometabolic health in populations underrepresented in biomedical research. This initiative represents a collaborative NIH effort supported by the All of Us Research Program and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

The project will generate data on cardiometabolic conditions including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease, paving the way for precision medicine approaches to reduce health disparities.

“Our project focuses on enrolling participants who have, or are at elevated risk for, cardiometabolic conditions,” says Hoda Anton-Culver, PhD, Donald Bren Professor and Distinguished Professor of Medicine and principal investigator leading the UC Irvine All of Us research team. “By gathering more comprehensive longitudinal data, we hope to uncover new insights that help prevent and treat these chronic conditions.”

The All of Us Research Program at UC Irvine will enroll 1,200 new adult participants who have, or are at risk for, cardiometabolic health conditions into the core protocol from the UCI Medical Center, the Federally Qualified Health Centers at Santa Ana and Anaheim, and the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care in Irvine. Participants who consent will contribute survey questions on lifestyle, physical and mental health, and share biospecimens and electronic health record data for researchers to study the associations between cardiometabolic conditions, genetics, environment and mental health.

In addition, researchers will follow up with 800 existing All of Us participants, who enrolled at least two years ago, to complete a second biospecimen collection and repeat surveys.

“The follow-up of participants at risk for cardiometabolic diseases is especially important, so that researchers will be able to study health changes in high-risk individuals at different points over time.” says Anton-Culver. “The updated information can lead to new discoveries about disease progression, prevention, treatment and long-term health outcomes.”

Participants in this project will also be invited to enroll in Eyes on Health, an ocular imaging study conducted by the UC Irvine All of Us team and supported by the NIH National Eye Institute.

“We know that certain health conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, can affect changes in the eye,” says Anton-Culver. Since September 2025, UC Irvine has enrolled nearly 1,500 All of Us participants into Eyes on Health. This effort collects retinal fundus photos and optical coherence tomography scans from participants to enrich the All of Us dataset so researchers can explore connections between eye health and overall health. Participants in the Eyes on Health study receive a printed color fundus photo of their retina, educational materials about eye health, and $25 compensation for their time. If any signs of optical tumors, retinal detachment, or optic disc edema are detected during the review process, participants are notified. Returning valuable information to participants is a cornerstone of All of Us.

All adults who are interested in furthering scientific discovery are invited to join the All of Us Research Program.

To participate or learn more about the All of Us Research Program, and the Eyes on Health study or the Cardiometabolic Health study, please contact the UC Irvine All of Us research team by calling (949) 824-0282, emailing allofus@uci.edu or visiting www.joinallofus.org.

All of Us and the All of Us logo are registered service marks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Research reported in this announcement is supported by the All of Us Research Program of the National Institutes of Health under OT number OT2OD036428. This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

About the UC Irvine School of Medicine: Each year, the UC Irvine School of Medicine educates more than 500 medical students and over 180 PhD and MS students. Nearly 900 residents and fellows are trained at the UCI Medical Center and affiliated institutions. The School of Medicine offers multiple MD, PhD and MS degrees, and students are encouraged to pursue an expansive range of interests and options. The UC Irvine School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and ranks among the top 50 nationwide for research. For more information, visit medschool.uci.edu.