Texas Center for Minority Health, Education, Research and Outreach

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管在过去二十年中美国人的健康状况总体上有所改善，但基于种族和民族、性别、教育水平和收入水平以及其他社会特征，健康结果仍然存在显著差异。美国社会的许多阶层越来越认识到，持续的健康差距是不可接受的，通过协调和有针对性的行动，大多数健康差距是可以纠正的。德克萨斯健康差异研究中心（TCHD）成立于2005年，部分资金作为出口中心，在过去的六年里，该中心一直是健康差异研究、教育和推广方面的领导者，在当地社区、整个德克萨斯州以及全国许多地区都是如此。基于其丰富的经验和广泛的关系，TCHD及其伙伴机构提议建立一个以妇女健康差距为重点的NIMHD卓越中心（COE）。通过与地方和国家伙伴进行大量社区对话，确定了以社区为基础的参与性研究（CBPR）为重点的妇女健康问题。拟议的COE将侧重于通过采用转化和CBPR方法来确定HIV-1进展的新生物标志物，开发三阴性乳腺癌的检测和治疗策略，以及解决体重减轻和肥胖问题，从而缩小健康差距。我们的COE将扩大和加强TCHD进行基础、临床、转化、参与和社会行为研究的现有基础设施和能力。我们对妇女健康差距的关注将解决美国、德克萨斯州和我们当地社区少数族裔妇女的重大需求。我们还将扩大和发展新的教育和社区外展活动，与我们的伙伴代表性不足的少数族裔机构和社区合作。我们COE的目标是：1)促进与URM机构的现有关系并发展新的关系；2)开展有影响力的妇女健康差异研究，解决艾滋病毒预防、乳腺癌和减少肥胖问题；3)为URM院校的学生和教师在健康差异研究方面提供独特的培训和指导机会；4. 教育保健专业受训人员、保健从业人员和决策者，使他们了解存在和需要解决持续存在的保健差距；5)通过传播健康信息、促进参与健康教育和研究以及实施疾病预防活动，成为少数民族社区的可靠资源。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Despite the overall improvement in the health of Americans during the past two decades, significant disparities in health outcomes persist based on race and ethnicity, sex, level of education and income, and other social characteristics. There is a growing awareness in many segments of United States society that persistent health disparities are not acceptable, and that through, coordinated and targeted actions most health disparities are correctable. Created in 2005 with partial funding as an EXPORT Center, for the past six years the Texas Center for Health Disparities (TCHD) has been a leader in health disparities research, education, and outreach In its local community, throughout the State of Texas, and in many parts of the nation. Building on its significant experience and expansive relationships, the TCHD and its partner institutions propose the development of an NIMHD Center of Excellence (COE) with a focus on Women's Health Disparities. Consistent with the community-based participatory research (CBPR) focus of the TCHD, the focus on women's health was identified through substantial community dialogue with local and national partners. The proposed COE will focus on reducing health disparities by employing translational and CBPR approaches for identifying novel biomarkers for HIV-1 progression, developing detection and therapeutic strategies for triple negative breast cancer, and addressing weight loss and obesity. Our COE will augment and strengthen the existing infrastructure and capacity of the TCHD for conducting basic, clinical, translational, participatory, and socio-behavioral research. Our focus on Women's Health Disparities will address a significant need among racial and ethnic minority women in the U.S., the State of Texas, and our local community. We will also expand and develop new education and community outreach activities with our partner underrepresented minority (URM) institutions and community. The objectives of our COE are to: 1) Foster existing relationships and develop new relationships with URM institutions; 2) Conduct impactful research on Women's Health Disparities addressing HIV prevention, breast cancer, and obesity reduction; 3) Provide unique training and mentoring opportunities for URM students and faculty from URM institutions in health disparity research; 4. Educate health professions trainees, health care practitioners and policy makers on the existence and need to address persistent health disparities; and, 5) Serve as a reliable resource for minority communities by disseminating health information, promoting participation in health education and research, and implementing disease prevention activities.