Dr. William Coleman Award

National Institute On Minority Health And Health Disparities

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

In response to the announcement of the FY21 application period, we received 32 applications; 4 of these were ineligible. After review by the Coleman award application review committee, 6 research projects, from 9 investigators were selected for FY21 funding; one of these applicants was composed four team members. A description of the recipients and their research projects follows. These projects demonstrate the NIMHD DIRs ability to leverage existing NIH investments in ongoing cohort studies, as well as NIMHD-DIR generated data sources. Dana M. Alhasan, Ph.D., M.P.H., Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Project Title: Identification of Neighborhood Environmental Factors Associated with Dementia Incidence Among Men and Women in the Overall Population and by Race/Ethnicity: Implications for Place-Based Research. It is important to identify neighborhood features that may contribute to greater dementia incidence to inform intervention strategies to reduce racial/ethnic and sex/gender disparities. Dr. Alhasan will examine ecologic associations between social (e.g., residential segregation) and physical (e.g., suboptimal access to healthy food, quality health care, and community resources) features of the neighborhood environment and dementia incidence rates overall among men and women and by race/ethnicity, by census tract, among residents 50 years old utilizing the 2010-2014 South Carolina Alzheimers Disease Registry. The findings of this study will provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between upstream neighborhood-level determinants and downstream cardiometabolic health influencing later-in-life cognitive impairments including dementia. The neighborhood characteristics identified may be used as upstream targets for intervention, in hopes of reducing observed disparities. This study leverages the South Carolina Alzheimers Disease Registry to identify key features of the neighborhood environment that are associated with dementia risk. Sarfaraz Hasni, M.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Project Title: Increase Minority Participation in Clinical Research Through Peer-Peer Mentoring Approach Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Lupus Registries and other lupus cohort studies indicate a disproportionately higher susceptibility and increased severity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in people from racial/ethnic minority groups, compared to whites. A combination of genetic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors is responsible for these disparities. The objectives of this project are to: 1) collect data on beliefs, knowledge and barriers that are preventing minorities from participating in clinical research focused on SLE; and implement a peer-to-peer mentoring program to bolster the participation and representation of racial/ethnic minority groups in SLE clinical research. With this project, Dr. Hasni aims to establish a peer mentoring program, train the peer mentors to address concerns and better understand SLE, and encourage SLE patients from minority groups to participate in clinical research. Dr. Hasnis award was deferred until FY22 due to the inability to implement the study because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study leverages the resources of the NIAMS lupus cohort and Community Health Clinic. Francisco Alejandro Montiel Ishino, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Project Title: Dynamic Acculturation Factors and Cardiometabolic Risk Among Bhutanese Refugees Living in the United States. Dr. Montiel Ishino will work with community partners and Ohio State University to examine the relationship between acculturation and cardiometabolic risk among Bhutanese refugees in the U.S. Cardiometabolic risk will be modeled using a syndemic framework describing a set of linked health problems, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and overweight/obesity, that worsen disease burden by promoting the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. The study will investigate the relationship of dynamic acculturation and cardiometabolic risk factors among Bhutanese refugees and identify risk profiles, which may help explain differences in cardiometabolic outcomes among Bhutanese refugees in the United States. Findings will inform research approaches that enhance the feasibility of working with refugee populations. This study leverages NIMHD DIR infrastructure support due to Dr. Montiel Ishinos status as one of our trainees. Cody Ramin, Ph.D., Sc.M., Postdoctoral Fellow, National Cancer Institute. Project Title: Endogenous Hormones and Ultrasound Tomography Measures of Breast Density by Race in a Longitudinal Study of Women Undergoing Tamoxifen Therapy. Dr. Ramin will examine the association between endogenous hormones and breast density before and after tamoxifen treatment among a racially diverse study population. The proposal will include repeated measures of endogenous hormones using a recently developed high-quality liquid chromatography tandem mass of spectrometry assay to measure parent endogenous hormones, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, estradiol, estrone, and progesterone, and repeated measures of volumetric breast density using the novel imaging approach of whole breast ultrasound tomography. Understanding how endogenous hormones influence breast density after tamoxifen therapy and whether there are differences by race may provide information about both breast cancer causes and racial disparities in breast cancer survival. This study leverages data from National Cancer Institute Hormone Laboratory and Frederick Laboratory. Jessica Madrigal, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, National Cancer Institute, Estimating Sociodemographic Inequities in Potential Exposure to Point Source Carcinogenic Industrial Air Pollution Emissions in the United States. Dr. Madrigal will use geographic information system (GIS) technology coupled with census population data to investigate the distribution of point-source pollutants across the United States and whether these vary by sociodemographic characteristics of the population. Her study aims to characterize patterns of exposure linked to spatial and temporal variation in known and probable carcinogenic point-source air pollutants produced annually in the U.S.; this data may then be used to evaluate associated health risks. The resulting dataset will contribute a needed characterization of carcinogenic emissions sources across the contiguous US, constituting an environmental health resource that is currently lacking. This study leverages data from NCI and US EPAs Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Jacqueline B. Vo, Ph.D., RN, M.P.H.; Naoise Synnott, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Ian Buller, Ph.D., M.A.; and Derek Brown, Ph.D., M.S., Postdoctoral Fellows, National Cancer Institute. Project Title: HDoCs in PLCO: Health Disparities of Cancer Survivors in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. The awardees will explore how health disparities and genetic ancestry relate to all-cause and cancer-specific mortality among cancer survivors, using data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO study). The PLCO is a prospective cohort study and randomized, multi-center trial at ten screening centers in the U.S. studying the effects of screening on cancer-related mortality and secondary endpoints. The present study is expected to generate estimates of the contributions of socioeconomic and genetic ancestry factors to cancer disparity outcomes and inform efforts to reduce cancer mortality inequities in the U.S. This study leverages data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial.