News Summary

• The University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Medical School have jointly received a $2.2 million cancer-related Health Disparities Education Development Program Grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
• The grant will fund the training of new investigators through a new program charged with developing, testing and evaluating clinical and population interventions designed to reduce cancer-related inequities among disadvantaged populations.
• The investigators will consist of three pre-doctoral and three post-doctoral fellows, all studying cancer-related health disparities. 

Quotes

• “The Health Disparities Work Group grant provides a unique collaboration between the School of Public Health, the Medical School and our community,” said Jean Forster, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health. “Fellows in this program will receive a unique combination of educational and career development opportunities.”
• “We really hope that this opportunity will increase the number of people who conduct research in the area of cancer disparities,” said Dr. Forster. “The Twin Cities offers vibrant communities, which are full of different cultures and communities. Our program will help enhance the cancer research workforce by recruiting individuals from underrepresented/disadvantaged populations.” 

Full Text

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (Feb. 1, 2012) – The University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Medical School have jointly received a $2.2 million cancer-related Health Disparities Education Development Program Grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

The grant will fund the training of new investigators through a new program charged with developing, testing and evaluating clinical and population interventions designed to reduce cancer-related inequities among disadvantaged populations.

The investigators will consist of three pre-doctoral and three post-doctoral fellows, all studying cancer-related health disparities.

“The Health Disparities Work Group grant provides a unique collaboration between the School of Public Health, the Medical School and our community,” said Jean Forster, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health. “Fellows in this program will receive a unique combination of educational and career development opportunities.

The six fellows will work closely with their academic and community mentors, as well as psychologists, physicians, epidemiologists and community organizations to address community-identified problems that can exacerbate cancer-related health disparities. These problems can range from risk factors for cancer like obesity, smoking cessation and nutrition to health care access and immigrant health issues that affect cancer treatment.

The program can be tailored to suit the individual's training requirements with opportunities for teaching experience, clinical and community-based work, publication of research, collaborative grant writing experience, and independent grant submission.

“We really hope that this opportunity will increase the number of people who conduct research in the area of cancer disparities,” said Dr. Forster. “The Twin Cities offers vibrant communities, which are full of different cultures and communities. Our program will help enhance the cancer research workforce by recruiting individuals from underrepresented/disadvantaged populations.”

About the Health Disparities Work Group

The Health Disparities Working Group mission is to give greater visibility to health disparities research at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health (SPH) and nationally; develop collaborations with faculty and community partners; and ensure SPH students are well trained to work in a diverse society. For more information please go to http://www.sph.umn.edu/research/hdwg/.