Improving how parents agree to use newborn blood spots for health discoveries in Michigan
Implementing a Novel Consent Process for Biospecimen Research after Newborn Screening in Michigan Hospitals
This project aims to create a new way for parents in Michigan to decide if their baby's leftover newborn screening blood spots can be used for important health research.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11128732 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Biobanks, which store samples like blood, are incredibly helpful for understanding diseases and developing new treatments, but they often lack samples from all different groups of people. Newborn screening blood spots, collected from almost every baby, could fill this gap and help advance personalized medicine for everyone. However, there have been questions and concerns about how these samples are used for research, especially regarding parental consent. This project will develop and implement new tools to help parents make informed choices about allowing their baby's blood spots to be used for future health research.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Parents of newborns in Michigan hospitals who are asked to provide consent for the research use of their baby's leftover newborn screening blood spots are the focus of this project.
Not a fit: Individuals not involved in the newborn screening process or those outside of Michigan hospitals would not directly benefit from this specific consent implementation project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could ensure that valuable newborn blood spot samples can be ethically used to advance health research for all children, potentially leading to new discoveries and treatments.
How similar studies have performed: While the need for improved consent processes for biospecimens is recognized, this project focuses on implementing a novel approach specifically for newborn screening blood spots in Michigan, building on prior work by the research team.
Where this research is happening
Salt Lake City, United States
- Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah — Salt Lake City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rothwell, Erin — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Rothwell, Erin
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.