IU School of Medicine’s Precision Health Initiative is the inaugural recipient of funding through Indiana University’s Grand Challenges Program, which will help IU School of Medicine and its partner institutions understand and optimize the prevention, onset, treatment, progression and health outcomes of human diseases through a more precise definition of the genetic, developmental, behavioral and environmental factors that contribute to an individual’s health. Developed by a team of researchers and physicians led by principal investigator Tatiana Foroud, PhD, this initiative will transform biomedical research, health care innovations and the delivery of health interventions in Indiana. The Precision Health Initiative will receive as much as $40 million in funding from the Grand Challenges Program, along with $80 million invested by IU School of Medicine.

The Precision Health Initiative is an ambitious plan that will cure at least one cancer through the development of new cell, gene and immune therapies and develop novel disease-modifying or prevention methods for adult neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease. It will also use gene and other therapies to cure at least one genetic pediatric disease. This initiative involves collaboration with industry and community partners, including Eli Lilly and Co., Roche Diagnostics, Cook Regentec, Deloitte, Regenstrief Institute and IU Health.

IU School of Medicine investigators conduct world-class basic, translational and clinical research in a broad range of scientific endeavors. Neuroscience, cancer, musculoskeletal and diabetes/cardiovascular/metabolic disorders have been designated as research priority areas and represent the school’s areas of expertise. Strategic themes within each of those priority areas are precision medicine, population health, cell-based therapy and life-span research.

With more than $445 million in external grants and awards, IU School of Medicine oversees a comprehensive research enterprise guided by the following goals:

• Grow research funding through focused investment
• Recruit and retain research leaders, both physicians and research scientists
• Enhance the health of Indiana and beyond by offering innovative therapies not available elsewhere and being a leader in population health management
• Accelerate translation of research to the clinic and the marketplace through high-quality clinical trials and public-private partnerships
• Train future researchers for Indiana and worldwide