NASHVILLE, Tenn. Members of the Precision and Health Disparities Collaborative (PMHDC) from the University of Miami, University of Mississippi, Vanderbilt University, and Meharry Medical College (MMC) gathered at Meharry's Cal Turner Family Center on November 20-21, 2017, to further the goals of the five-year $11.5 million initiative from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) and the National Human Genome Research Initiative (NHGRI).
The PMHDC uses precision medicine approaches to understand and address health disparities, specifically among African Americans and Latinos. Its objectives encompass scientific, educational, and advocacy areas.
Comments from Steering Committee members
The in-person meeting allowed ideas to be shared and exchanged freely, and marks the half-way point in year 2 of the 5-year project. “I think there were more clearly articulated opportunities for cores and projects to rally around than at past meetings, in part because we know each other better and are more familiar with our own strengths and weaknesses,” Nancy J. Cox, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) Professor of Genomic Medicine and PMHDC Principal Investigator (PI) commented. “I really enjoyed hearing about the presentations, and I think we need to work hard to integrate these projects with the rest of the threads we have been trying to weave together.”
Three of five PMHDC Steering Committee members attended the entire meeting in person. These three -- Phillip Alberti, PHD, of the Association for American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Vence Bonham, JD, of the NHGRI, and Lainie Ross, MD, PHD of University of Chicago -- provided evaluative feedback to the project’s PIs and made productive suggestions that the Collaborative is actively working to implement.
“New methods to integrate social, cultural, environmental and biological data to establish strategies aimed at the prevention and treatment of diseases, particularly among those with disproportionately poor health outcomes, are vital if precision medicine is to reach its new potential,” Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Executive Director and PMHDC PI Consuelo H. Wilkins, MD, MSCI noted. “We began our part in that mission two years ago, and it still continues today.”
Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers (TCCs) on Precision Medicine and Heath Disparities
The PMHDC is one of five Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers (TCCs) on Precision Medicine and Heath Disparities in the US. The others are:
- Medical University of South Carolina Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center in Precision Medicine and Minority Men’s Health
- Yale Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center for Health Disparities Research Focused on Precision Medicine
- Stanford Precision Health for Ethnic and Racial Equity Transdisciplinary Center
- African American Cardiovascular Pharmacogenetic Consortium
Click here to view photos from the PMHDC Face-to-Face Meeting.
About the Precision and Health Disparities Collaborative
The PMHDC meeting was supported by NIMHD and NHGRI of the National Institutes of Health under award number U54MD010722 and by Meharry Medical College.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas -- community engagement, interprofessional education and research -- by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the Alliance serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.
