Welcome
to the Center for Health Equity Research

The goals for the Center for Health Equity Research (CHER) are to advance knowledge of the determinants of health among racial/ethnic minorities, marginalized, vulnerable, and/or underserved populations across the life span; and to develop, evaluate, and disseminate multidisciplinary research methods and behavioral interventions aimed at improving the health of vulnerable populations and reducing health disparities. CHER faculty members are involved in various research projects aimed at improving the health of vulnerable populations as a way to reduce health disparities. Our research goals are derived in collaboration with the community and reflect our mutual perspectives.

This is the fundamental philosophy of the Center. This type of research and commitment to the community requires a new set of strategies to guide research that involves implementing a study with a community population versus implementing a study on a community population. What this involves is questioning, rethinking at every level, and reinforcing and developing culturally competent research methodological strategies to reflect this partnership. We are not novices; we are experts who are passionately committed to this philosophy of research. The Center gives us a home for our collaborations and partnerships that promotes and further develops our mission. Our challenge is to continue to develop resources and methodologies so that we can accomplish our mission. CHER is also very committed to mentoring members of the Center, undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral students, and special fellows who join us from around the world. We meet and review grants-in-progress as well as other activities pertinent to their growth. Seeking to improve the education of nurse scholars from all over the world, this Center engages in pre- and post-doctoral training, research institutes, visiting professorships and seminars, including our annual Summer Nursing Research Institute to create the next generation of scholars. An institutional predoctoral and postdoctoral training grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health (T32 NR007100) has supported 22 predoctoral and 21 postdoctoral trainees.

We have established strong interdisciplinary collaborations with faculty in the School of Medicine, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, and the School of Social Policy & Practice. Various local, national, and international partners also work to support our partnerships with organizations and institutions that serve our community.