Renown, DRI Looking For More Participants for Phase Two of Population Health Study

The Healthy Nevada Project wants to help more Nevadans live healthier lives by better understanding the state’s unique genetic makeup and environment.

Already, 10,000 people have signed up to participate in phase two of this landmark, community-based population health study. For the remaining 30,000 testing slots in phase two, researchers will focus on finding participants who match the demographics of our area.

“We're trying to build a cohort that really looks like northern Nevadan,” said Joseph Grzymski, Ph.D., senior director of the DRI Applied Innovation Center, co-director of Renown Institute for Health Innovation, and principal investigator of the Healthy Nevada Project. “The idea is to learn as much about how we can help all of these people and improve health outcomes.”

Study participants will be eligible based on specific demographic variables including gender, age group, ethnicity and residence in a rural or urban area of Nevada.

Years of research show that gender, age, and ethnicity all play critical roles in a person's health risks. By accurately representing the northern Nevada region, the Healthy Nevada Project will be able to better understand communitywide health issues and how to address them. Fitting these criteria will ensure the study mirrors the people of northern Nevada.

To see if you fit the criteria researchers are looking for and to stay up to date as the study expands, visit HealthyNV.org.

“Our ultimate goal is to involve as many Nevadans as possible, but for now, we're focusing on northern Nevada,” Grzymski said.

As a result of the pilot phase of the study, 10,000 people learned more about their health and ancestry, and doctors and researchers discovered more about the region’s major health issues. Now, care providers and scientists will begin working on clinical programs and scientific studies focused specifically on Washoe County's high age-adjusted death rates for heart disease, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory disease. Collectively, these conditions among residents stand at 33 percent above the national rate.

The pilot phase of the study also gave participants, scientists and doctors more insight into individual health concerns.

“We talked a lot to that first 10,000-person cohort about their lifestyle and their habits,” Grzymski said. “We learned that people really want to learn more about diet, nutrition, and weight loss.”

One of the participants who learned more about her health is Caroline Moassessi, one of the first people to participate in the first cohort of 10,000 Nevadans. Through that pilot study, Moassessi discovered how her genetic makeup impacted her body's composition and tolerance of different foods.

“I ended up learning about my health and getting a report that turned on the light bulb,” Moassessi said. “I realized I needed to actually look at my health. I needed to look at my weight, and what I was eating, and how I was living. And so, it just provoked me to go to my doctor and get a plan started.”

Moassessi also participated in phase two of the study, which is partnering with Helix, a personal genomics company that provides greater depth and quality of DNA data. Like all participants, Moassessi received access to the Helix-powered ancestry app, Geno 2.0 by National Geographic, and a Helix.com account that let her explore additional DNA-powered products on the Helix App store. If study participants choose to complete a follow-up survey from the Healthy Nevada Project, they will also have the chance to pick an additional health and wellness app specific to their genetic results.

In the years ahead, Renown IHI — a collaboration of Renown and DRI — hopes to offer genetic testing through the Healthy Nevada Project to every Nevadan interested in learning more about their health and genetic profile, and ultimately, drive positive health outcomes statewide. Simultaneously, the Healthy Nevada Project will expand the state's access to leading-edge clinical trials and foster new connections with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

“This is this incredibly rare opportunity that just as an average citizen we can make a change to not only ourselves, but to our whole state, and then possibly the nation," Moassessi said. “The data that's going to come out of this could really be lifesaving. This is a big game changer.”

To see if you are eligible to participate in the study, to sign up for study updates and for full details on the Healthy Nevada Project, please visit HealthyNV.org.