PRESS RELEASE — Chapel Hill, NC — The North Carolina Community Engagement Alliance (NC CEAL), which brings researchers and communities together to improve health across North Carolina in partnership with North Carolina Central University, has received a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support ANCESTRAL (Advancing Intergenerational Access Genomics to Improve Health), a two-year community-engaged research initiative that will increase genomic awareness and literacy as well as access to preventive genomic screening. ANCESTRAL is one of two sites funded by NIH as part of its CEAL4Genomics: Community Engaged Research in Understanding the Genomics Basis for Health and Disease program.
“This grant represents a unique opportunity to build trust in genomic medicine from the ground up in rural North Carolina,” said Dr. Anissa Irvin Vines, Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Social Medicine, and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Thriving Communities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “By engaging people across the lifespan as partners in research, we’re not just educating, we’re creating pathways for access to genomic medicine to improve health for all.”
“ANCESTRAL demonstrates how community-academic research partnerships can translate genomic science into something meaningful and accessible for rural families,” added Dr. Deepak Kumar, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). “By starting with students and families and listening to communities from the outset, we have an opportunity to build genomic literacy and trust together.”
Genomics uses information from a person’s genes to better understand health, identify potential risks, and guide more personalized approaches to prevent and treat disease. Including communities from a variety of backgrounds in genomic research helps ensure that new discoveries and healthcare advances benefit everyone.
“I am excited to co-lead this important initiative with Dr. Deepak Kumar at North Carolina Central University,” said Dr. Vines. “The ANCESTRAL team of investigators from NCCU and UNC has the expertise and commitment to health disparities and community-engaged research that will move the needle in improving literacy in genomics science and access to genetic screenings.”
The ANCESTRAL research initiative covers the life span by including two research projects:
YOUTH-ENGAGE-NC (Youth Engagement in Genomics to Advance Education in North Carolina) will develop a high-school-based STEM education program to engage students as partners in increasing genomic awareness among their peers, families, and communities
Dr. Kevin Williams and Dr. Carla E. Oldham from BRITE Institute at NCCU will lead YOUTH-ENGAGE-NC. The project will build on NCCU’s BRITE Futures program and its NIMHD-funded RCMI Center for Health Disparities Research, leveraging established community partnerships and research infrastructure to expand genomics education and engagement. Community partners include the Halifax County Schools and the Rural Health Hub in Halifax County. YOUTH-ENGAGE-NC gives our students the opportunity to learn about genomics in ways that connect to their lives, families, and communities,” said Dr. Eric Cunningham, Superintendent of Halifax County Schools. “It also helps them see themselves in the future of science and health.”
BOOST (Broadening Opportunities for Optimal Screening and Testing), for reproductive-aged adults, will be led by Dr. Asha Talati (UNC Maternal Fetal Medicine, Genetics).
Dr. Asha Talati shared, “Our team is excited to launch this new study exploring the future of preventive genomic screening for reproductive-aged individuals. As preventive genomic technologies continue to advance, it is critical to understand how they can be implemented in ways that reflect the values and priorities of the communities they are intended to serve. This study will partner with community members, patients, and clinicians to evaluate how preventive genomic screening could be integrated into care for reproductive-aged individuals. The research will help guide patient-centered approaches to implementing genomic medicine in clinical practice.”
Joining Drs. Vines and Kumar to Co-Lead ANCESTRAL’s Collaboration Core will be Melvin Jackson, Executive Director of the PRIME Collective LLC. The Collaboration Core will foster bidirectional learning between community members and genetics experts to address persistent barriers to receipt of genomics medicine and screening and low literacy of genomics and its applications.
The research initiative will run through July 31, 2028.
For more information, please contact Angelique Jennings, Research Program Manager at NC CEAL, at angelique_jennings@med.unc.edu.
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