Abstract B27: A synergistic regional network's infrastructure to reduce cancer related health disparities
Authors: Jaggi Neha , Houston Julia Faith , Hebert James R. , Dignan Mark , Vanderford Nathan L. , Cromo Mark , Evers Mark , Bowie Janice , Dobs Adrian , Mbah Olive , Gallagher Ashleigh DeFries , Anderson Roger 
Published: March 2017

Cancer Health Disparities is defined by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as “adverse differences in cancer incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, survivorship, and burden of cancer or related health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States.” NCI recognizes the substantial progress in cancer treatment, screening, diagnosis, and prevention over the past several decades. However, addressing cancer-related health disparities in certain populations is an area in which progress has not kept pace. Therefore, NCI's Center to Reduce Center Health Disparities (CRCHD) created region-based “hubs” under the Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities Program (GMaP) to advance the science of cancer health disparities in the regions, contribute to the next generation of cancer health disparities researchers, and achieve measureable reductions in cancer health disparities in the United States.

GMaP Region 1 North (R1N) hub is based at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, with Johns Hopkins University Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Program, and the University of Virginia Cancer Center as lead institutions. The overall goal of GMaP R1N is to enhance the capacity of regional cancer centers, associated academic partners, community partners, and early-stage investigators to contribute to the reduction of cancer health disparities in the region covering Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Washington DC.

GMaP R1N is utilizing an infrastructure of investigators and partners throughout the region that serve on the Advisory Committee, Education and Outreach Subcommittee, Diversity Training Subcommittee, and/or Evaluation Subcommittee to: create opportunities for scientific exchange, cooperation, and collaboration among cancer and cancer-related health disparities researchers throughout the region; attract underrepresented students, trainees/scholars, and investigators to the biomedical cancer research enterprise; enhance access of underrepresented students, trainees, and scholars to career development and mentoring opportunities; and increase cancer information dissemination and sharing of best practices among researchers and trainees/ scholars.

Using this infrastructure, R1N anticipates enhanced collaboration between regional cancer centers and other academic partners, including regional minority serving institutions; increases in the number of competitive collaborative grant applications to NCI from regional cancer and academic centers; increases in the number of successful K- and R- award applications to NCI by underrepresented students, trainees/scholars, and investigators in the region; increased mentoring relationships developed, both within and across regional cancer and academic centers; and increased dissemination of research and career development opportunities across regional institutions.

Citation Format: Neha Jaggi, Julia Faith Houston, James R. Hebert, Mark Dignan, Nathan L. Vanderford, Mark Cromo, Mark Evers, Janice Bowie, Adrian Dobs, Olive Mbah, Ashleigh DeFries Gallagher, Roger Anderson. A synergistic regional network's infrastructure to reduce cancer related health disparities. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B27.