• Press Release

Science - "NIH Unperturbed by New Way of Peering Into Personal Genomic Data"

  • (April 10, 2012)

In a provocative paper published this week, researchers say they have figured out a way to link a person's DNA to their anonymous genetic data in a certain kind of public research database. But the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which hosts one of the largest such databases, says it's not taking any new steps to prevent someone from using the method to breach privacy. Dr. Eric Schadt and colleagues at Mount Sinai School of Medicine reported this week in Nature Genetics that they have developed a technique for generating a DNA "bar code," for an individual based on their gene expression results. Dr. Schadt wants "to highlight that in fact there may be no way to protect privacy" of individual genetic data. Instead of blocking access, Dr. Schadt says, NIH should educate people that there's a chance that their data won't remain confidential and instead rely on "downstream" protections such as genetic antidiscrimination laws. Learn more

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Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 10 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2025-2026.

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