Local Research
Researchers at Mass General Brigham and Boston Medical Center are using All of Us data to make important health discoveries.
Effect of everyday discrimination on depression and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic
Jordan W. Smoller, MD, ScD
Co-Director, Mass General Brigham Biobank; Director, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Mass General Brigham Center for Genomic Medicine; Director of the Omics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Division of Clinical Research; Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Smoller used All of Us data to study the mental health impact of everyday discrimination during the pandemic. The study learned that individuals who experienced the greatest discrimination showed the highest levels of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.
Geographic variation in obesity at the state level in the All of Us Research Program
Cheryl R. Clark, MD, ScD
Associate Chief, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Clark used All of Us data to estimate population-level obesity prevalence across the U.S. The study found All of Us participants had a high prevalence of obesity, with state-level geographic variation matching national trends. The diversity among All of Us participants may support future investigations on obesity prevention and treatment in diverse populations.
Antibody testing for COVID-19 research
Elizabeth W. Karlson, MD, MS
Scientific Director, Mass General Brigham Personalized Medicine; Co-Director, Mass General Brigham Biobank; Director, Human Immunology Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital; Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Karlson was a co-author of the COVID-19 antibodies study that offers evidence of early SARS-CoV-2 infections in the U.S., which identified cases in five states weeks earlier than had previously been detected.
Reproductive health issues that disproportionately affect Black women
Nyia Noel, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine
Dr. Noel is using All of Us data to study hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and uterine fibroids. The study will help us better understand reproductive health issues that disproportionately affect Black women. Dr. Noel hopes to use the information found in the study to help prevent and treat uterine fibroids in patients with specific demographic, clinical, and social characteristics and better understand how race and social determinants of health impact disease.
The effects of social support on depression during COVID-19 pandemic
Karmel Choi, PhD
Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Director, Precision Prevention Program in the MGH Center for Precision Psychiatry
Dr. Choi used All of Us data to examine how social support impacts the risk of having depression during the pandemic. The study found that having social support lowers depression risk, especially through the forms of emotional support and positive social interactions. Dr. Choi hopes that this data can help tailor depression prevention strategies for those who may benefit from having different forms of social support.