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US veterans genomics project expands

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said that it will expand its Million Veteran Program, which aims to create the world’s “largest research database of genetic, military exposure, and health information.”

The department said the database would enable researchers “to conduct health and wellness studies to determine which genetic variations are associated with particular health issues.”

The program had been launched at one medical center earlier this year, but the department said on 4 May that it aims to expand the program over the next five to seven years to reach across the nation. The program aims to make advances in personalized medicine that could be translated to all Americans, the department said. It will eventually be open to all veterans who are being treated through the department’s medical programs.


If it reaches its stated goals, the VA project would be larger than other major personalized medicine initiatives, such as the UK Biobank, which aims to enroll 500,000 people; the privately led Kaiser Permanente Research Program on Genes, Environment, and Health, which also aims for 500,000 participants; and the Coriell Personalized Medicine Initiative, which hopes to study 100,000 people.

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