Native American Research Internship (NARI) Summer Program in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT In the United States, 30.3 million people (9.4% of the US population) have diabetes; underrepresented minorities, such as American Indian and Alaskan Natives (AI/AN), have a disproportionally high prevalence of diabetes (15.1% for AI/AN compared to 7.4% for non-Hispanic and whites). Eliminating health disparities such as diabetes and obesity among AI/AN requires the identification, recruitment, education, and training of a diverse group of talented scientists in the US. At the University of Utah, we have established a Native American Research Internship in diabetes, obesity and metabolism related research the NARI-NIDDK program. NARI-NIDDK was built on the principles of community engagement with Native elders, faculty, and student guidance with the goal of increasing AI/AN representation in the biomedical sciences, specifically diabetes-related research, and thus reducing health disparities that exist for AI/AN. NARI-NIDDK undergraduate participants receive research, cultural, and professional mentorship and training with committed community members and renowned scientists. To date, 21 participants representing 11 tribal nations, 14 colleges/universities, and 9 home states, have participated in the NARI-NIDDK program. All have successfully completed the program requirements with 1 participating for 2 summers. Of the 21 NARI-NIDDK Program participants, 6 (29%) are current undergraduate students and 15 (71%) have completed a bachelor’s degree. Among those who have completed their bachelor’s degree, 14 (93%) have completed a BS degree and 1 (7%) have completed a BA degree. No one has dropped out of college. To date, 7 (33%) participants have worked in biomedical science fields as research assistants. Of the 15 NARI-NIDDK participants who have completed their undergraduate degree, 9 (60%) participants are continuing their education in the health/science fields: 5 were accepted into a graduate program; 4 were accepted into medical school. We hope to continue the current NARI-NIDDK research experiences for NARI trainees in the field of diabetes or obesity-related research. Our current NARI participants continue to report that diabetes and obesity were the top health concerns of their families and the majority of participants have family members affected by diabetes and obesity. Through this proposal, we will continue the existing NARI-NIDDK program to include research experiences and educational and clinical outreach experiences in diabetes and obesity research (NARI-NIDDK), two major health concerns that plague AI/AN populations.