Research Training / Education Core

Overall Goal:

To enhance an already existing pipeline for interdisciplinary education for the purpose of developing a strong cadre of individuals prepared to work collaboratively with peers and the community to conduct research on health disparities with underserved populations.     

Specific Aims:

Specific Aim 1:

Collaborate with the UNMHSC CTSC Research Education, Training and Career Development Component (RETCD) to enhance an existing training and education pipeline with model health disparities training and education resources to develop health disparities research awareness, interest and skills.

• Community and practice on-site training for community member engaged in health disparities research.
• Undergraduate seminars and summer experiences in health disparities and CBPR practicums.
• Master of Science in Clinical Research with a Focus on Health Disparities Research.
• Certificate in Clinical and Translational Science with a Focus on Health Disparities Research

Increase mutual understanding between faculty and community researchers about the process of health disparities research by developing and implementing faculty and community researcher mentorship models and expanding minority faculty involvement in disparities research.

• Faculty Mentorship Model- to increase the number of junior faculty
• (especially minority faculty) conducting health disparities research.
• Community Researcher Mentorship Model- innovative community researcher mentorship model that will partner academic researchers with community research mentors.
• The Triad Mentorship Model (Combined Faculty and Community Researcher Mentorship Models) – to be developed around a single health disparities research project in a given community.

Develop a National Health Disparities Conference that will increase the bi-directionality and mutual understanding between faculty and community researchers around health disparities research and that will present emerging findings on disparities.

Conference Purposes/Outcomes:

1. to highlight community and university activities around health disparities education /research.
2. to develop a state-wide community of researchers (community and university) who can collaborate on health disparities research.
3. to serve as a recruiting tool for participation in NM CARES HD activities
4. to expose UNM researchers to emerging national research and methods in  health disparities.
5. to serve a public relations function by promoting the work of NM CARES HD and its contributions to health disparities research activities.

Matthew Borrego, PhD, RPh, Associate Professor of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, UNMHSC. 272-5945. MBorrego@salud.unm.edu

Core Co-Director:

Felisha Rohan-MInjares, MD is Co-Director of the Research Education and Training Core. Dr. Rohan-Minjares is an assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and she co-directors the cultural competency curriculum at UNM School of Medicine. She is a practicing family doctor at the UNM Southeast Heights Clinic and on the Maternal Child Health service in UNM Hospital. Dr. Rohan-Minjares' interests are in cross-cultural medicine, language access, and improving health in marginalized populations in New Mexico. FRohan-Minjares@salud.unm.edu