MINORITY CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER

本申请请求第三次续期授权#M01-RR-08198

This application requests renewal of grant #M01-RR-08198 for its third funding period. The grant is jointly funded by MBRS and GCRC. It is an innovative program designed to encourage development of clinical research at Meharry Medical College. The first five years, beginning in 1981, were in the MBRS format with five subprojects in four disciplines being funded: Oncology, Sickle Cell Disease, Immunology, and Pulmonology. These four clinical research areas were established. The second funding period, for three years, beginning in 1987, changed to the GCRC format. This request was to establish a clinical research center for the purpose of furnishing the facilities necessary to do clinical research in a minority school setting. The four already- established areas were maintained and new clinical research programs were proposed in Infectious Disease, Dentistry, Behavioral Sciences and Nutrition. The physical and administrative structure for the patient care resource was begun, and a program of special support services was established for the education and nurturing of the clinicians who had very little research experience. The present application proposes to stabilize and expand the existing program and to encourage full utilization of the facilities by faculty physicians, community physicians, residents, and students. Three areas for special developmental effort have been designated: cancer, cardiovascular disease, and AIDS. These areas have been chosen because they encompass health care problems that disproportionately affect black populations. Therefore, it is important for Meharry, a historically Black Medical College, to address these problems.