Researchers have made dramatic advances in understanding the genetic basis of many common diseases since the sequencing of the human genome was completed in 2003.12 Large public databases of genomic data allow for a closer look at health and disease at the molecular level.13 This “big data” approach is beginning to result in more targeted therapies for diseases, including so-called precision medicine, an approach to disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individuals’ variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle. In his 2015 State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama announced plans for the federal government’s $215 million Precision Medicine Initiative, which will include the creation of a research cohort of more than 1 million Americans.14
