The MURDOCK Study Community Registry and Biorepository is a groundbreaking 12,526-participant community-based longitudinal cohort recruited from a 20-zip code region in the southeastern United States centered on the City of Kannapolis, N.C. and encompassing Cabarrus County, N.C.
The MURDOCK Biorepository is a unique opportunity for investigators to use biospecimens for research. We are making thousands of samples and associated clinical outcome data available to all Duke researchers. Go to the collaboration interest form to submit your idea for sample use.
Creation of the MURDOCK cohort was funded by a gift to Duke University from the David H. Murdock Institute for Business and Culture, with operational support from the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) grant (UL1TR002553) and the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI).
Consenting participants completed a baseline health questionnaire at enrollment, as well as a brief physical exam and collection of blood and urine. Consent includes permission to access to information from medical records, storage of collected samples in the biorepository, access to collected data and biospecimens for future approved research studies, and ongoing contact regarding new research study opportunities.
MURDOCK is an acronym that stands for the Measurement to Understand Reclassification of Disease Of Cabarrus and Kannapolis.
Annual Follow-Up
Primary data collection for the MURDOCK Study is an annual questionnaire administered as a participant self-guided survey (“annual follow-up”). Annual follow-up is foundational to the longitudinal design of the MURDOCK Study by capturing changes in health and wellness over time. The research team also uses annual follow-up to maintain current contact information and stay engaged with the participant population.
Research participants may complete annual follow-up online via web-based survey, the method preferred by the research team for security, efficiency, and reduction of paper and postage, consistent with our green workplace mission. Online follow-up also offers participants the convenience of pre-populated data fields, allowing for edits as needed (e.g. medication list).
Participants may complete follow-up by phone with a research team member.
Participants receive an invitation to complete follow-up each year around the anniversary of their enrollment in the MURDOCK Study. All follow-up methods are offered in English and Spanish.
If you are a MURDOCK Study participant and are not sure whether your annual follow-up is complete or current, please call the Duke Kannapolis office at (704) 273-5456.
MURDOCK Study Storefronts
Data have been organized into “storefronts” that summarize characteristics of a population of research interest, as well as available data and samples for that population. View the MURDOCK Study Storefronts, including sources of data in the MURDOCK Study database, as well as important descriptions and definitions to help understand the data presented.