Forging our Futures: Studying Science to Protect Tribal Health

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ABSTRACT - Forging our Futures: Studying Science to Protect Tribal Health: NW NARCH Program Indian country has been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with skyrocketing incidence and mortality rates in many tribal communities. The scientific issues related to many aspects of SARS-CoV-2 and its spread are now recognized by a large proportion of tribal people, young and old. We have a unique window of opportunity to take advantage of this new awareness of public health as a catalyst to encourage young tribal people to consider population health sciences for career choices. If the pandemic continues or new pathogens circulate, the energy and commitment of well-trained tribal scientists who concentrate on issues that are most pressing to tribal well-being will be highly welcomed and valued. Our overall goal in the long-term is to develop a larger cadre of NW tribal people who will engage in population health sciences and related research careers. For this particular grant, however, we will include the following aims as we work to develop a pipeline of high school students who will become future researchers: 1. Develop and implement a population health sciences research introductory program for tribal high school juniors and seniors that uses public health challenges and diseases of tribal health importance to introduce diverse topics in population health scientific research (such as virology, genetics, vaccine development, laboratory methods, epidemiology, environmental health, data science) 2. Assist participating students with development of their own research projects with the help of local mentors, near-peer mentors, and with assistance from population health scientists at the Indian Health Board and its two partner universities (OHSU and Portland State University). 3. Promote selection of population health science major fields of study in undergraduate programs following high school graduation in NW colleges and universities. 4. Evaluate the program thoroughly from the viewpoints of process, impact, and outcomes. We have had enormous success in supporting tribal researchers in graduate school programs, summer research training institute programs, internships, cancer prevention fellowships, and in inclusion of college undergraduates in various research roles at the NW Portland Area Indian Health Board. We will use the population science lens to introduce the high school students to the many fields that make up population health sciences, including laboratory sciences, infectious diseases, data science, immunology, epidemiology, environmental health, and other related areas. Our program will be unique in Indian country, and the success of our efforts will be furthered through our partnership with two premier research universities located nearby.