Helping people with undiagnosed conditions get answers
Diagnosing the Unknown for Care and Advancing Science (DUCAS)
This project builds a national system to help people with rare or unexplained medical problems get faster diagnoses and access to expert testing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11321620 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, the team will create a national data hub and support system so diagnostic centers can share medical records, genetic data, and test results securely. Harvard will run three cores—administrative, data management, and clinical research support—to connect experts in bioinformatics, novel tests, and clinical care. The goal is to scale the successful Undiagnosed Diseases Network so more people with mysterious or rare symptoms receive coordinated review and advanced testing. If you apply, your information and samples could be used to help find a diagnosis and to learn about new causes of disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with unexplained, rare, or hard-to-diagnose medical conditions who can share their medical records and may provide samples or follow-up information.
Not a fit: Patients with common, well-understood conditions or those unwilling to share data or participate in follow-up are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could shorten diagnostic odysseys and give patients access to advanced testing and specialist teams.
How similar studies have performed: The original Undiagnosed Diseases Network has a track record of diagnosing many patients, and this project expands that successful model.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Harvard Medical School — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kohane, Isaac S. — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Kohane, Isaac S.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.