Powerful science for integrating genomic and environmental data to understand human health
The Personalized Environment and Genes Study (PEGS), formerly the Environmental Polymorphisms Registry or EPR, is a long-term research project to collect health, exposure, medical and genetic data from a diverse group of people in North Carolina in the United States. Researchers will use the data to learn more about how our environment, diet, lifestyle and genes affect our health. By joining this study, you will be supporting new scientific discoveries that could improve the prevention and treatment of various diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, allergies, asthma, cancer and many others.
Who Can Participate?
- Adults living in North Carolina
What Is Required?
- Blood sample
- Urine sample
- Completion of surveys to answer questions about your health, diet, lifestyle and other environmental exposures
- Periodically complete re-contact surveys to update your information
Who Is Running the Study?
The study is run by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Lead Researchers

Janet E. Hall, M.D., M.S.
janet.hall@nih.gov
Janet E. Hall, M.D., M.S. is an internationally known clinician and clinical researcher. She received her Masters of Medical Sciences in exercise physiology and her M.D. and Internal Medicine training at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. She completed her training in Endocrinology and Metabolism at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and rose to the rank of Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She had continuous NIH extramural grant funding until moving to the NIEHS intramural program in 2015. Hall was elected to the Association of American Physicians in recognition of her contributions to both the science and academics of medicine and, as a leader in the field, is a former President of the Endocrine Society.
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Research Webpage

Alison A. Motsinger-Reif, Ph.D.
alison.motsinger-reif@nih.gov
Alison Motsinger-Reif, Ph.D., is Chief of and a Principal Investigator in the Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch. Overall, her group focuses on the development and application of modern statistical approaches for understanding the etiology of common, complex diseases. As the field of human genetics increasingly accepts a complex model of phenotypic development involving many genetic and environment factors, it is increasingly important to develop analytical strategies that incorporates this complexity.
Research Webpage
Study Staff

Farida S. Akhtari, Ph.D.
farida.akhtari@nih.gov

Jamie R. Glover
jamie.glover@nih.gov
For More Information About This Study
- Call: 1-855-MYNIEHS (1-855-696-4347)
- Email: myniehs@nih.gov
- Protocol Number: 04-E-0053
- Study Background and Protocols
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