RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
CZI ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE GENOMICS RESEARCH AT THE FOUR HISTORICALLY BLACK MEDICAL COLLEGES
AWARD REPRESENTS 2ND LARGEST PRIVATE DONATION IN CDU HISTORY
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative ( CZI ) has announced a partnership with CDU and the nation ’ s three other Historically Black Medical Colleges ( HBMCs ). The partnership will further support the cutting-edge scientific research these institutions are leading to address significant gaps in genomics research , create new tools and methods to prevent and treat disease , and accelerate precision health for everyone , particularly Black people and other people of color .
The Accelerate Precision Health program will award $ 46 million total in funding , or $ 11.5 million per institution over the next five years . This represents the second largest private donation in CDU ’ s history .
CZI ’ s Accelerate Precision Health program will invest in gemoics research at each of the HBMCs CDU College of Science and Health in Los Angeles , CA ; Howard University College of Medicine in Washington , D . C .; Meharry Medical College in Nashville , TN ; and Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta , GA .
Through the partnership , the HBMCs will expand research opportunities for undergraduate , graduate , and post-doctoral students ; support the creation of a new Master of Science program in Genetic Counseling ; support recruitment of anchor faculty in genomics ; and fund state-of-the-art tools for data handling , storage , and analysis , among other elements . The award will also fund CDU ' s Biomedical Sciences Enrichment Program : Mentoring and Workforce Development .
“ We are honored to partner with these four institutions that are national leaders and championing some of the most groundbreaking research in precision health ,” said CZI Co-Founder & Co-CEO Priscilla Chan . “ As pillars in their communities , the Historically Black Medical Colleges are also uniquely positioned to engage populations that have been systematically underrepresented in the scientific research process to ensure that the breakthroughs represent a healthier future for everyone .”
EQUITY AND ACCESS
CDU and the University of California , Los Angeles ( UCLA ) Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine in collaboration with the California Community Foundation published the report “ Equity and Access : A Roadmap to Improving Vaccination Equity in South Los Angeles .” The report advises and provides insights on how to reach communities of color and those hardly reached to educate , build trust , and disseminate vaccines in South Los Angeles given historical experiences with medical mistrust . CDU authors on the project include Professor Nina Harawa and Assistant Professor Dr . Dilara K . Uskup . Click here to access the full report .
A team of CDU faculty and researchers ’ abstract “ Trends in the Racial and Ethnic Disparity of Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease ( MAFLD ): Data from NHANES 1988 to 2018 ,” was selected for presentation at ENDO 2023 and received special media attention via ENDO press release . The team consists of Drs . Magda Shaheen , Katrina Schrode , Deyu Pan , and Theodore Friedman .
“ This partnership between CDU , our fellow Historically Black Medical Colleges , and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in many ways represents an almost perfect convergence of ambition , vision , resources , and perspective ,” shared Dr . David M . Carlisle , President and CEO of CDU . “ This endeavor to address humanity ’ s most pressing health issues through research , regardless of color , ethnicity , gender , or other factors , is nothing short of a bold and stunning step towards achieving true health equity .”
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RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS Charles R . Drew University of Medicine and Science