Winter/Spring 2018 HBCU Health 1 The Hampton Roads Messenger Volume 12 Number 3


$8.5M NIH grant to help Tuskegee researchers reduce disparities


by Tuskegee University faculty centers around better


and for


access to quality health care


equitable everyone,”


Jeelani said. “Tis grant will continue our mission of focusing our research on the nation’s most prevailing health issues — especially those that threaten the well-being of minority populations.”


Dr. Clayton Yates, An $8.5 million National


Institutes of Health grant will enable Tuskegee University researchers to improve our understanding of why diseases — such as cancer, obesity and HIV — disproportionately affect minority populations, and how targeted community education programs can reduce the pervasiveness of these diseases.


Research funded by NIH’s


National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) program will help researchers in the university’s multidisciplinary Center for Biomedical Research examine the molecular,


genetic “Trough this NIH-funded


research, we will gain a better understanding of the health differences that exist among various races and sub- populations,” said Dr. Clayton Yates, a professor and director of the Center for Biomedical Research. “Tis in turn will enable physicians in the future to have a better understanding of which therapies will be more effective among minorities, as well as who the most vulnerable and underserved segments of our population are.”


Assisting Yates will be Dr.


Temesgen Samuel, an associate professor of pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, who will serve as the grant’s program director. Dr. Honghe Wang, an associate professor of


biology in


the College of Arts and Sciences whose specialty is in cancer biology, will contribute


to the questions of


prevalence and treatment. One particular disease on which


the team will focus initially is prostate cancer. Historically, African-American men have had the highest incidences of prostate cancer for any racial and ethnic group in the world — more than two-thirds higher than white men. African-Americans also have the highest mortality rates and shortest survival rates of any racial and ethnic group in the U.S. In studying prostate cancer, the team will evaluate the heritable and environmental factors that influence the rising rates of the disease among men. During


the


African-American five-year grant


funding period, the team will expand its focus on other diseases that plague minority populations.


Dr. Shaik Jeelani, Tuskegee’s vice


president for research, heralded this initiative as being forward-focused on the future of health care and the medical needs of


some of society’s


most underserved individuals. “A common theme for much of


the research and outreach work done In addition to


its medical focus, the project also will include engaging local communities as partners through town hall meetings that increase awareness of diseases like prostate cancer that disproportionately affect African-Americans, as well as how best to mitigate their risk factors. Dr. Lonnie Hannon, an associate professor of sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences, will partner with the Southern Christian Leadership Foundation and other community groups to educate, as well as learn from, the communities where disease rates are higher than average.


“It’s and epigenetical


determinates that contribute to the ferocity of specific diseases among the African-American community.


critical that we take the


knowledge we acquire from research and use it to empower individuals by improving their access to and participation in key institutions, such as health science research,” Hannon said. “By participation in structured and unified engagement, we can leverage our intellectual resources in a manner that builds trust in these institutions. Tis is the hallmark of engaged empowerment, a concept that I have been developing for some time now. Engagement leads to participation. Participation leads to access and subsequent increases in trust.”


Tuskegee University is one of the


only seven research centers at minority institutions (RCMIs) funded in this National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities grant cycle. Others include Florida International University, Meharry Medical College, North Carolina Central University, Northern Arizona University, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus.


“I am very proud that our Tuskegee


team is among this list of outstanding institutions dedicated to serving and enhancing the health care services available to minority populations,” said Interim President Dr. Charlotte P. Morris.


Tis grant also will have long-term


benefits for Tuskegee’s research infrastructure, according to Samuel. Funding will strengthen the biomedical research capacity of the university’s Center for Biomedical Research by augmenting faculty research competitiveness and training the next generation of biomedical researcher focused


on health disparities and


community engagement. “Tis grant will further build


excellence in our biomedical research relating to health disparity topics by funding junior faculty development, engaging traditionally non-biomedical researchers and enhancing the facilities available to our researchers,” Samuel said. “It will help us train, develop and retain promising university-based researchers who will address health disparities research as a career choice.”


Healthy Recipe 1 pound lentils


2 boxes vegetable stock (32 fl oz) 1 large can crushed tomatoes (28 oz) 2 garlic cloves, diced 2 onions, diced 4 tbsp. curry powder 1 tbsp. turmeric 2 tsp. fenugreek 3 dried curry leaves 2 tbs. minced ginger 2 jalapenos, diced 2 tbs. sugar


vegetable oil, salt, pepper to taste


Sauté the onion, garlic and curry leaves in a large stockpot over medium- high heat until the veggies turn translucent.


Add the jalapenos and continue to sauté for 10 minutes.


Rinse the lentils thoroughly; running your fingers through the lentils to make sure that there is no grit or bad lentil hiding in there.


You can pick out any “bad” lentils you see, but you mostly just want to rinse the lentils until the water runs clear. Now add all of your dry spices. Remove the curry leaves and discard. Add the can of crushed tomatoes. Add the vegetable stock.


Add the lentils. Turn up the heat to bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium and let the dish simmer for 30 minutes, or until it has thickened considerably and the lentils are tender.


Healthy Recipe Indian Spiced Lentil Soup


Try this lentil soup with curry powder, tumeric, ginger, jalapenos, and crushed tomatoes for a vegan soup recipe.


The HBCU Advocate 15 December 2017


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