By involving large numbers of local Bangladeshi and Pakistani people, the study hopes to find new ways of improving health for communities in the UK and worldwide. Previously, few large research studies included people from South Asian populations, meaning public health insights and risk estimates have been inaccurate for British people of Bangladeshi or Pakistani heritage.

This large, long-term study has analysed the DNA (genomes) of volunteers and built a world-class resource for approved health researchers and scientists to better understand health and disease.

Genes & Health was initially funded by the Wellcome Trust and has also received generous support from the Medical Research Council, Barts Charity, HEFCE, the NHS National Institute for Health Research, and a consortium of life sciences industry partners.

Delivered in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust, primary healthcare groups and East London community groups, Genes & Health will bring equality and the benefits of genomics in modern medicine to local communities which are currently under-represented in clinical research