Though zeroing in on hereditary links to the potentially lethal respiratory disorder in Blacks, the research also aims to yield a more comprehensive knowledge of the root causes of certain diseases in Blacks and, thereby, more precisely tailored medical treatment.
“The proof will be in the pudding of what we discover. But this study is the biggest of its kind. It’s the first of its kind,” said Dr. Kathleen Barnes, an immunogeneticist and professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health.
With a disproportionate share of medical research previously enrolling mainly White study participants, this Black-focused asthma research represents an essential departure.
