Vibrent Health, a prominent software-as-a-service company specializing in precision genomics research, has achieved a significant milestone by establishing the largest research dataset of individuals identifying as LGBTQIA+. This groundbreaking achievement was made possible through Vibrent’s collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program.
Dr. Mitchell R. Lunn, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Stanford University School of Medicine and co-director of PRIDEnet, highlighted the historic nature of the program. “The fact that the program is even asking about gender identity and sexual orientation from one million people is historic,” said Dr. Lunn. “These data provide researchers the opportunity to better understand the health needs and experiences of communities.”
Vibrent Health’s digital platform plays a crucial role in this initiative by enabling participants to consent to donate their biosamples. The platform collects additional phenotypic, clinical (EMR), wearable, and real-world data, contributing to the comprehensive All of Us dataset, which supports thousands of research studies nationwide. Participants also gain access to their genetic results through the program. Mark Begale, Lead PI for the Participant Technology Services Center, noted, “Vibrent Health played a critical role in developing the tools that enabled deeper assessment of sex at birth, gender identity, and sexuality.”
Praduman (PJ) Jain, CEO of Vibrent, emphasized the importance of inclusiveness and trust in research. “Building a dataset of this size, representing a community as diverse as the LGBTQIA+ community, demonstrates the importance of inclusiveness and trust-building in research. Using digital methods augments the important work done in communities and allows research programs like the All of Us Research Program to scale to a size of this magnitude,” Jain stated.
This historic collaboration between Vibrent Health and the NIH marks a significant advancement in understanding and addressing the health needs of the LGBTQIA+ community.