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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News NIH Office of the Director (OD) <https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director> For Immediate Release: March 14, 2023 CONTACT: NIH Office of Communications, 301-496-5787, <e-mail:nmb@xxxxxxxxxx>
NIH-FUNDED NASEM REPORT RECOMMENDS BEST PRACTICES FOR USE OF POPULATION DESCRIPTORS IN GENETICS AND GENOMICS RESEARCH We would like to thank the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) for providing a timely and thoughtful set of recommendations (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26902/using-population-descriptors-in-genetics-and-genomics-research-a-new)to
address the use of population descriptors such as race, ethnicity, and ancestry in genetics and genomics research. This issue is of paramount importance to NIH, as genetic and genomic information continues to hold promise for transforming how we understand,
treat, and cure human disease. At the same time, incorrect assumptions and poor scientific design attempting to discern the relationship between genomics and race have led to false conclusions perpetuating systemic biases in research and medicine. Clear guidance,
rooted in ethical practice and empirical principles, about the appropriate use of population descriptors in research will be key for researchers in shedding light on the biological mechanisms underlying complex behaviors and help us realize the promise of
precision medicine. Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, NIH has engaged with researchers and the public to ensure the relationship between human genetic variation and social constructs or population descriptors, such as race and ethnicity, are
interpreted and represented accurately. This report will inform NIH's ongoing efforts to safeguard scientific integrity in genomics and promote the responsible design of research studies so that all populations benefit from scientific advances. Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D. Performing the Duties of the Director, NIH Eric D. Green, M.D., Ph.D. Director, National Human Genome Research Institute Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D. Director, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting
and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit <www.nih.gov>. NIH...Turning Discovery into Health -- Registered, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ### This Statement is available online at: <https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director/statements/nih-funded-nasem-report-recommends-best-practices-use-population-descriptors-genetics-genomics-research> To subscribe (or unsubscribe) from NIH News Release mailings, go to <http://service.govdelivery.com/service/subscribe.html?code=USNIH_1>. If you subscribed via the NIH LISTSERV, go to <https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A0=nihpress>. |
