Welcome  to  Public  Health  moment from  the  University  of  Minnesota. The  University  of  Minnesota  has  been  awarded nearly  $14,000,000  over  five  years to  lead  a  national  study  assessing  the  effects  of both  environmental  and  genetic factors  on  children's  health. The  lead  researcher  is University  of  Minnesota  Professor  Pat  Mcgovern. It's  actually  unique  for  several  reasons. It's  a  landmark  study, probably  the  largest  study  of children's  health  that's  ever occurred  in  the  United  States. Another  is  the  idea  that  you  would identify  people  before  they're  even  pregnant. And  follow  them  until  they  become  pregnant, and  then  follow  their  child  for 21  years  is  pretty  unique. The  study  will  follow  100,000 children  from  conception  to  age  21. That  will  include  about  1,000 children  from  Ramsey  County. Mcgovern  says  the  intent  is  to find  information  that  can  be  used  to prevent  and  treat  some  of our  nation's  most  pressing  public  health  problems. The  goal  is  to  look  at some  childhood  conditions  that  have become  increasingly  prevalent  over  the  last  decade. Obesity,  diabetes,  heart  disease,  birth  defects,  autism. And  so  what  we're  looking  particularly is  gene  environment  interactions and  how  they  cause  or  exacerbate  those  conditions. And  trying  to  either  learn  enough  to prevent  or  better  manage those  conditions  and  influence  policy  to  promote children's  health  for  John  Finnegan and  public  health  Moment. I'm  Kristen  Staffer.