The All of Us (AoU) Research Program is a biobank established by the National Institutes of Health in 2018 that contains diverse health data from nearly one million Americans. While HSLS’s Molecular Biology Information Service (MBIS) offers workshops and code templates to introduce students to this database, many students require more comprehensive support to complete their AoU research projects. To address this, MBIS has collaborated with Pitt’s Human Genetics department to launch a new graduate-level course for Fall 2025 called Analyzing Health Data with the All of Us Research Program (HUGEN 2081).
This course provides students with the skills and knowledge to navigate the All of Us database effectively. Emphasizing health equity and precision medicine research, it enables students to explore diverse U.S. population data and generate interesting research questions. Key topics include onboarding to the AoU Researcher Workbench, cloud computing, genome-wide and phenome-wide association studies, and accessing datasets such as surveys, electronic health records, and short-read whole genome sequencing. This broad range of available data ensures that students from other disciplines can also benefit from the course, even though it is offered through the Human Genetics department.
Students will also gain hands-on experience in Python and R, focusing on coding techniques for data cleaning, manipulation, and statistical analysis tailored to All of Us data. This practical training prepares participants to effectively manage large-scale datasets.
By blending technical instruction with real-world applications, HUGEN 2081 provides a strong foundation for analyzing complex data and addressing issues of health equity and outcomes for underrepresented populations. Whether focusing on genetics or broader public health trends, this course equips students to approach research challenges with confidence and expertise.
Make sure to keep HUGEN 2081 on your radar when planning your Fall schedule next year!
~Alexis Cenname