The legacy of the Alaska Siberia Medical Research Program: a historical perspective

The Alaska Siberia Medical Research Program was established at the University of Alaska (UA) at a time when there was no research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that was concerned with Alaska Native health issues. The program grew out of a dire need for an understanding of the apparently rapidly growing health problems in the Native community. The initial plan included the following objectives.

The objectives are to develop a self-sustaining infrastructure for biomedical research by gaining support from Alaska Natives, UA, national political leaders, NIH and the Russian Academy of Medical Science (RAMS); to identify researchers committed to helping Alaska Natives; to develop meaningful, Native-driven participatory research; to carry out necessary research to form the foundation for future research; and to develop circumpolar collaborations.

The objectives were achieved because of the extraordinary and cheerful contributions by all participants in the program. The collaborative research resulted in some 70 published manuscripts identifying and characterizing research-neglected health problems. Unique risk factors for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, alcoholism and seasonal affective disorders were characterized and institutionalized prevention programs were established. The effort of the program led to U.S. Congressional action establishing the University of Alaska as a minority institution, leading to the funding of a variety of successful NIH-funded research centres and programs at the university that are concerned with Native health problems.

A small, visionary investment by the University of Alaska for establishing the program led to a co-operative effort by the UA, RAMS, Alaska Native Health communities and the NIH that resulted in the development of self-sustaining medical research efforts in Alaska and Siberia. The program spawned pilot studies, leading to NIH-funded research that has provided fundamental insights into the etiology of health problems and their reduction by research-based intervention and prevention programs.