About the study
There is still a lot that we don’t understand about the connections between DNA and health. We already know that certain differences in our DNA can affect our health. For example, some can increase our risk for a few specific health conditions like certain cancers or heart disease. The more we study our DNA, the more we will learn what gene variants mean about us.
The purpose of the OneDukeGen Genomic Sequencing Study and Biorepository (OneDukeGen) is to collect biological samples, and use the samples to analyze DNA, and other material (like RNA) for use in research related to a variety of diseases and conditions. We are hoping that at least 100,000 people will join. The more people who join, the better chance we have of finding new gene variants and understanding what the ones we already know about mean to our health.
Study Recruitment
The OneDukeGen study is taking place at Duke Health locations in Durham, NC. Study team members are stationed in these locations to collect blood samples from Duke patients during regularly scheduled appointments. Study team members will move to new clinics throughout the six-year life of the study.
Eligible Duke patients will receive an invitation to join the study through their Duke MyChart portal. Some patients will receive an invitation now, while others may not receive an invitation for several years, if at all. Eligibility is dependent on whether the patient has an appointment in a clinic where staff are located. Patients who want to participate in OneDukeGen must keep their upcoming clinic appointment. If the appointment is missed, we may not have another opportunity to collect the blood sample we need.
Some Duke patients will receive an invitation in their Duke MyChart portal for participation via a saliva collection kit that will be mailed to their home. These invitations are part of special research projects within OneDukeGen that only require a DNA sample, and do not need the other elements and information that can be obtained from a blood sample.
See For Participants for active study locations
The Team
OneDukeGen is housed in the Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI), and operations are managed by CTSI Staff.
Svati Shah, MD
Principal Investigator
Director, Duke Kannapolis Research
Dr. Svati H. Shah is a physician scientist and Associate Dean of Genomics and Director of Precision Genomics Collaboratory in the Duke School of Medicine; Vice-Chief of Translational Research and Director of the Adult Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic in the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine; Co-Director of Translational Research in the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute (DMPI); Director of Duke Kannapolis Research; and a faculty member in the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). Dr. Shah is Principal Investigator of the MURDOCK Study Community Registry and Biorepository and the Duke principal investigator for the Project Baseline Health Study.
Her research focus is on metabolic and genetic pathways of cardiometabolic diseases, integrating diverse genomic, metabolomic and proteomic techniques for identification of novel mechanisms of disease and biomarkers. Her multi-disciplinary molecular epidemiology lab within the DMPI has quantitative and molecular components and leverages large biorepositories on to perform discovery studies using omics technologies, with subsequent functional validation for mechanistic insight.
Clinical Study Team
Jevon Chavis
Clinical Research Coordinator, Duke Kannapolis
Mr. Chavis joined Duke CTSI to work on the Project Baseline Health Study in Durham, N.C. Prior to joining CTSI, he worked at the Duke Eye Center for 22 years. As a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA), he held several positions throughout his time at the Eye Center which included Visual Fields Technician, Lead Glaucoma Clinic Technician, Lead Ophthalmic Ultrasound Biometrist, and Surgical Coordinator. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Arlene David
Clinical Research Coordinator
As a clinical research coordinator, Arlene David works with the OneDukeGen team. David enrolls study participants for the OneDukeGen study, as well as collects and processes blood samples from research participants. She has been with Duke since 2014, having previously worked at the Duke Regional Hospital Laboratory and the MC3- Carolinas Cord Blood Bank.
Erin Griffin
Clinical Research Genetic Counselor
Erin has returned to work at Duke after getting his genetic counseling degree at Vanderbilt University and working in a northern Arizona health system. He originally worked at Duke in a research lab, and now he has joined the Duke Kannapolis team to build a program to return genetic results to study participants as part of a large upcoming study.
Cheryl Robinson
Clinical Research Specialist, Duke Kannapolis
Cheryl Robinson joined Duke CTSI as a Research Aide and is now a Clinical Research Specialist with the Duke Kannapolis group in Durham, N.C. She spent just over five years serving in the U.S. Navy boot camp in Orlando, Fla. and the Naval Operations Base in Norfolk, Va. to begin courses in underwater sound surveillance. Her advanced training took her to Eureka, Calif. and her career as an Ocean Systems Technician officially began at the base in Dam Neck, Va. Two years later, she was sent to Guam where she continued to serve and earned her honorable discharge.
Jennifer Wilson
Clinical Research Coordinator, Duke Kannapolis
Jennifer Wilson is part of the Duke Kannapolis group in Durham. Ms. Wilson joined Duke CTSI from the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development. She has been at Duke for more than 20 years doing clinical research and has worked in the Heart Center, DOCR, and the Duke Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She works on the Project Baseline Health Study.
Have a question?
We are here to help!
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page to review definitions and other helpful information.
Email us anytime at OneDukeGen@duke.edu
Call us at 919-257-0752 during normal business hours (9am to 5pm Eastern).
