2/2 Ponce Health Sciences University-Moffitt Cancer Center Partnership

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ABSTRACT | OVERALL The Hispanic/Latino (H/L) communities in the Ponce and Tampa Bay regions experience both shared and unique challenges associated with poverty, access to care, and language. The Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) in Puerto Rico (PR) and the Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC) in Florida have forged a strong relationship and leveraged their respective strengths and resources to address these needs with the ultimate goal of eliminating cancer health disparities. The 15-year Partnership has established joint programs for basic and clinical research, cancer outreach, cancer education, and training, and biobanking, building networks of investigators focused on cancer disparities and infrastructure for sustained long-term collaboration. Combined with the establishment and growth of a unique biobanking resource for H/L and the integration of quantitative sciences expertise, this dynamic environment is a catalyst for the recruitment of new faculty at PHSU in basic and translational cancer research, increases the health disparities research focus at MCC and stimulates innovative cancer research. To ensure a durable impact, the Partnership fosters the development of cancer researchers and clinicians through an exchange of research and medical trainees between institutions and supporting the successful advancement of Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs). The Partnership and our outreach activities continue to be integral in promoting cancer health in our H/L communities and has provided vital support for overcoming two major hurricanes, devastating earthquakes, and the COVID pandemic. The challenges, achievements, and lessons learned to provide a strong basis to guide the evolution and further expansion of this Partnership, whose primary goals are to reduce cancer disparities in the Hispanic/Latino (H/L) communities and to contribute to the elimination of health disparities in the population at large. The specific aims for the U54 Partnership renewal are (1) Increase Partnership investigators and collaborations committed to innovative cancer health disparities research, creating long-term sustainability. This will be accomplished through the engagement of faculty and ESIs with resources to support collaborations, grant preparations, publications, and networking. (2) Identify and foster the growth of diverse trainees for a career in cancer research and health disparities. We will support the recruitment and development of trainees from diverse backgrounds across the career continuum with an emphasis on H/L. (3) Support novel research projects that will contribute to the identification and elimination of cancer health disparities in H/L. We will foster the development of projects that investigate the biological basis, psychological and social factors of cancer disparities through a rigorous evaluation of research projects that have the potential to reduce specific disparity gaps. (4) Increase community engagement in cancer health disparities research. This will be accomplished by fostering community engagement, including bi-directional activities, education, increased social media presence, and dialogue with the research component and activities of our Community Health Educator.