All Alabama residents 19 and older qualify for the Catalyst initiative. The research is done by collecting DNA through a blood sample or a cheek swab. The swab kit can be mailed to your house and returned for testing. Participation in the initiative is free. That DNA is studied in three different ways. “We will utilize your genetic information to give you about three specific reports. One is called a polygenic risk score report, which talks about your risk around coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer if you’re a biological female,” said Dr. Khalilah Brown, the chief medical officer for Southern Research. “There is a panel of what we would call rare disease diagnosis. A panel of 84 genes that speaks about 44 different disease types, that people just may not know is in their genome, that they are at risk for.” After the study, participants are connected with additional resources to continue their healthcare. “We link every patient to a genetic counselor. They get to have a visit to talk about their results, whether they’re all positive or all negative. Whatever is there, they talk to them about those results and how that impacts their health,” said Brown. More information on Catalyst and how to participate can be found here.
All Alabama residents 19 and older qualify for the Catalyst initiative.
The research is done by collecting DNA through a blood sample or a cheek swab.
The swab kit can be mailed to your house and returned for testing.
Participation in the initiative is free.
That DNA is studied in three different ways.
“We will utilize your genetic information to give you about three specific reports. One is called a polygenic risk score report, which talks about your risk around coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer if you’re a biological female,” said Dr. Khalilah Brown, the chief medical officer for Southern Research. “There is a panel of what we would call rare disease diagnosis. A panel of 84 genes that speaks about 44 different disease types, that people just may not know is in their genome, that they are at risk for.”
After the study, participants are connected with additional resources to continue their healthcare.
“We link every patient to a genetic counselor. They get to have a visit to talk about their results, whether they’re all positive or all negative. Whatever is there, they talk to them about those results and how that impacts their health,” said Brown.
More information on Catalyst and how to participate can be found here.
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