Maintenance and Enhancement of the Asian American enriched Cohort

ABSTRACT Over 90% of Asian American (AsA) adults are either first-generation (foreign-born) or second-generation immigrants, experiencing a substantial environmental and sociocultural transition in this country. Yet, most environmental epidemiology cohorts have rarely included sufficient numbers of AsA. The FAMiLI (Food and

Microbiome Longitudinal Investigation), is the only large environmental epidemiology cohort, incorporating a broad spectrum of AsA. We uniquely capture environmental, diet acculturation, and sociocultural factors—pre and post-immigration at baseline, and with repeated assessments during follow-up. A biobank, including buccal

and stool samples, will greatly advance biological discoveries in the oral and gut microbiomes, metabolomics, human genomics, and other omics markers. Lastly, the FAMiLI represents an exceptional opportunity to compare risk associations in Chinese and Korean Americans, with those in their native countries, through well-

established Chinese and Korean cohort studies in the Asia Cohort Consortium, providing valuable insight into Asian ancestry, migration, and health outcomes. The overarching rationale for FAMiLi is to examine from an “exposome” perspective, the biological, lifestyle, behavioral, environmental, and sociocultural factors that impact the AsA health disparities, with the ultimate goal

of improving AsA health. Initiated in 2018, we completed an initial recruitment and biospecimen collection of 12,000 study participants (aged 35–75-years), including 5,000 AsA. Through this U24, we propose to maintain FAMiLI data and biospecimens and enrich the cohort through additional recruitment, data collection,

biorepository, data management collaboration, and enhancing workforce diversity. The FAMiLI was a unique nationwide resource with extensive data and biospecimen collection to answer important scientific questions advancing environmental health science relevant to NIEHS strategic plan, including the microbiome, the exposome, individual superstability, and data science/big data. These questions include

critical windows of environmental changes through the immigration experience in the new country, racial disparities, and the factors underlying the increase in health outcomes. The FAMiLI with integrated community participation will be a foundation to translate knowledge into action regarding disparities in AsA, the often

marginalized and underserved population, and further foster collaborations and bring workforce diversity for underserved populations.