Imagine a day when there is no cancer, no diabetes, no dementia. To make this a reality we must understand how lifestyle & environment influence biology. COLS will build a comprehensive biobank of biological specimens and health data so that cures can be found for the broadest spectrum of diseases.
"…COLS is a mutually beneficial collaborative approach that will benefit the State of Colorado and research community generally. Building this unique biobank will greatly advance our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie healthy aging" Tony Frank, Chancellor Colorado State University System
COLS "…affords citizens who care about the quality of the environment in which they live, their health and aging, and who, most importantly, will be interested in enrolling in your biobank." J. Robert Wilson, Owner of Columbine Health Systems
The Colorado Longitudinal Study (COLS) will create the definitive biobank-a repository of biological specimens and accompanying clinical, community, and personal health data on lifestyle and environment, and data on social determinants of health. This comprehensive combination of specimens and health data will facilitate a paradigm shift in disease prevention, early detection, and optimized treatments.
The Colorado Longitudinal Study was formed as a non-profit 501(c)(3) in 2016. COLS will be one of the largest, longitudinal repositories of biological specimens and associated community and clinical health data as well as social determinants of health data in the world. The COLS resource will advance health equity because special attention will be dedicated to recruiting underserved and underrepresented populations including minorities, rural communities, children, and the elderly. COLS is an essential step to better health, health care, and health equity. To prevent, reverse, slow, and cure diseases, we must better understand the relationship between our biology and our lifestyle, behavior, and environment. COLS will build a robust set of biological and personal health data so that cures can be found for the broadest spectrum of health challenges.
Our goal is to begin recruiting the first 16,000 participants and to follow them for a decade or longer. We plan to include a subgroup of participants who will enroll with their companion dogs so that we can better understand the impact of owning a pet on the owner's health. We will begin by recruiting at three sites across the state: Fort Collins, Aurora, and Durango. We will have a mobile van that will travel to areas around these sites where participants may not be able to travel to a recruitment site.
When COLS successfully builds the biobank, it will have a positive impact on the health and health equity of Coloradans and beyond our state borders; it will continue to grow Colorado as a hub for health innovation; and it will lead to economic development for the state.
Fundraising is vital for COLS success. We have been awarded significant funding from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, The Anschutz Foundation, the Boettcher Foundation, SomaLogic Inc., and several individual donors. We will continue to focus on obtaining funding to support this ambitious endeavor.
Organization name
Colorado Longitudinal Study
other names
COLS
2016
Tax id (EIN)
81-5231484
Category
Medical Research
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
347 UCBMailing
6398 Union AveBoulder County, CO, US
Weld County, CO, US