All of Us Research Program Opens Doors for Radiology Discovery

How many diagnostic breakthroughs have we missed because the patients in our imaging studies don't represent the patients in our waiting rooms? 

There are real gaps in radiology research that affect patient care every day. The National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program was designed to close these gaps, and with imaging data now entering the dataset, radiologists have an unprecedented opportunity to reshape the future of precision diagnosis.

The All of Us Research Program set an ambitious goal: to collect environmental, lifestyle, and genomic health data from at least 1 million people in the U.S. and enable researchers to use that data to accelerate health discoveries. 

Since its national launch in 2018, the longitudinal research program has collected health-related data from over 871,000 participants. 

By combining extensive genomic data, along with information from electronic health records (EHRs), wearable technologies, physical measurements, and self-reported surveys, the All of Us dataset gives researchers a multidimensional view to study the continuum of health and disease. 

“What’s particularly unique about this dataset is that it includes information from participant groups who have never had the chance to participate in biomedical research studies,” said Geoffrey Ginsburg, MD, PhD, chief medical and scientific officer of the All of Us Research Program at the NIH. “In this way, the dataset helps fill an important gap in discovery and translation to clinical applications.”

Speaking at a Sunday plenary session, Dr. Ginsburg explained how All of Us data is securely stored in the cloud-based Researcher Workbench, which includes tools, support resources, and sample data workbooks that researchers can utilize when using the collected data. 

As of November 2025, more than 20,000 researchers from over 1,200 institutions – including at least 100 international organizations – have used All of Us data to produce nearly 1,100 peer-reviewed publications.

While these numbers are impressive, according to Dr. Ginsburg, this represents only the beginning of the program’s scientific impact. “As we continue to expand the breadth of data available and the scientific impact of the program, All of Us will emerge as a key enabler of individualized disease prevention, treatment and care,” he said.

Imaging Data and All of Us

Of particular interest to radiology is the program’s plan to add images to its vast collection of data. In fact, the program launched an initial imaging pilot this year. 

Eyes on Health is a collaboration between All of Us, the National Eye Institute, and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. It’s collecting eye images, including color fundus photos, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography from approximately 5,000 participants. The images will be used to explore connections between the eye and broader health conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurological disorders. 

“By linking imaging to EHRs, genomics, wearables, and rich survey data in a single secure environment, All of Us will allow radiologists to study imaging phenotypes in context,” said Dr. Ginsburg. 
More importantly, as more imaging data is added to the All of Us Researcher Workbench, the RSNA community can help shape how this national resource can better serve its constituents. Anticipated new data types are posted on the program’s data roadmap (https://researchallofus.org/data-tools/data-sources).

"Radiologists have a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of this precision medicine revolution," Dr. Ginsburg emphasized. "By engaging with the All of Us data now, and contributing insights as imaging capabilities expand, the radiology community can help ensure this resource truly serves all populations and accelerates discoveries that improve health outcomes for everyone."
Radiologists can learn more and register to access data currently available by going to https://www.researchallofus.org/data-tools/workbench/.  

Access the presentation, “The All of Us Research Program: Advancing Precision Medicine for the Nation,” (S6-PL01) on demand at RSNA.org/MeetingCentral.