Three UW investigators with a focus on health disparities research and program development for underserved populations have been awarded pilot grants from the UW ICTR Advancing Health Equity and Diversity (AHEAD) Pilot Program.
The AHEAD initiative is a collaborative effort of the ICTR Collaborative Center for Health Equity, the Health Disparities Research Scholars Fellowship program (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology), Primary Care Fellowships (Department of Family Medicine and Community Health), and the SMPH Centennial Scholars Program. CCHE administers the AHEAD pilot awards program and Stephanie Budge, PhD, serves as Faculty Director. Budge notes:
In recent years, we have broadened the eligibility for pilot awards beyond scholars associated with our formal program partners and are now welcoming any early stage investigator pursuing health equity research. This year’s awardees are an excellent example of the important and varied research we are supporting across the UW campus with this approach.
The 2019 projects cover a range of research areas, focusing on health services research for vulnerable populations, and cultural adaptation of evidence-based interventions. Two of the 2019 awardees are also alumni of the CCHE Health Equity Leadership Institute (HELI).
- Chris Barcelos, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, UW College of Letters and Sciences
Mentor: Stephanie Budge, PhD
Research: Evaluation of the Trans Youth Justice Council - Nickolas Frost, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling Psychology, UW School of Education
Mentor: Stephanie Budge, PhD
Research: Follow up: Mental health outcomes for underrepresented students - Maria Mora Pinzon, MD, MS, Primary Care Research Fellow, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Mentor: Jane Mahoney, MD
Research: Pisando Fuerte: A fall risk reduction program
Angela Byars-Winston, PhD, Associate Director for CCHE, notes:
Each year, CCHE’s participation in the AHEAD program allows us to support researchers who might not otherwise find pilot funding for their clinical and translational research studies. Preliminary data from these awards permit early-stage investigators to advance their research program and apply for more substantial federal and other private awards. It’s a win-win situation that advances health equity and heath disparities research at UW.