About

The NUgene Project is a long-term research study sponsored by the Center for Genetic Medicine at Northwestern University in partnership with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation. The NUgene Project is one of the first genetic banking studies in the country. NUgene collects and stores DNA samples and associated health information from patients at Northwestern-affiliated hospitals and clinics. The information and blood samples provided will be used by researchers to examine the role genes play in the development and treatment of common diseases. The long term goal is to enroll 20,000 people in this research study.

The NUgene Project is an interdisciplinary project that relies on the expertise of individuals working in a variety of fields, including science, medicine, clinical research, statistics, epidemiology, and computational biology. NUgene's multidisciplinary approach has spurred collaborations within Northwestern-affiliated institutions and with other outside institutions. This collaboration of ideas is the future of genetics and genomic research.

NUgene participants are recruited throughout the Northwestern-affiliated healthcare community in order to create an ethnically and medically diverse population for research. Participants must be 18 years of age or older and receive their medical care from a Northwestern-affiliated provider, regardless of health status. Consenting individuals complete all aspects of enrollment in a single meeting with a research coordinator. The enrollment process includes the donation of a single sample of blood and the completion of a self-administered questionnaire. Participants also sign a consent form during this encounter.

The NUgene Project is IRB (Institutional Review Board) approved and compliant with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). NUgene is committed to protecting the privacy of individual participants and the confidentiality of their data.

Participants in the NUgene Project receive no compensation for their participation except for the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of health care for generations to come.

Visit www.nugene.org for more information.