NIH launches intramural research center to study genomics and health disparities

NIH launches intramural research center to study genomics and health disparities

In mid-March the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the establishment of the NIH Intramural Center for Genomics and Health Disparities (NICGHD) as a new venue for research about the way populations are impacted by disease, including obesity, diabetes and hypertension. NICGHD will employ a genomics approach, collecting and analyzing genetic, clinical, lifestyle and socioeconomic data to study a range of clinical conditions that have puzzled and troubled public health experts for decades.

NICGHD will be established within the NIH Office of Intramural Research and administered by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Additional support for the center will come from the NIH Office of the Director, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the Center for Information Technology. The research activities of NICGHD will take place on the NIH Bethesda campus.

Source: NIH news release, March 17, 2008.