MMC and VICC: Partners in Eliminating Cancer Disparities

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

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Abstract

Strong ties have developed between cancer researchers at Meharry Medical College (MMC) and the Vanderbilt-lngram Comprehensive Cancer Center (VICC) over the past five years of their formal partnership. The bedrock of this pioneering collaboration has been the U54 from the NCI. Our partnership is dedicated to enhancing the strengths and eliminating the weaknesses of our two institutions as we move toward our shared goal of eliminating cancer disparities in the US. The U54 award has moved our collaborative research program more forcefully toward a relationship that is based on reciprocity and stronger mutual benefit. Until recently, MMC viewed itself primarily as a teaching institution and, therefore, did not have a critical mass of researchers in cancer. MMC, with pivotal help from U54 funds, is growing its capacity but has a thriving concentration of cancer researchers in cancer biology, cancer epidemiology and clinical cancer research. The U54 has provided the major impetus for a bold restructuring of the basic science departments at MMC that will assure release time for MMC investigators. The Division of Cancer Biology, headed by Dr. Adunyah, Co-Pi of the U54 at MMC will consist of faculty with 80% release time for research. In cooperation with the U54 Pis, mentoring committees consisting of faculty from MMC and VICC will assist faculty in developing competitive research programs. This restructure was due, in part, to recommendations made by our Program Steering Committee at their 2003 and 2004 meetings. Funds provided by this U54 will solidify our collaboration. During this second phase of our partnership, we concentrate on amassing sufficient infrastructure for cancer research that will strengthen reciprocity between MMC and VICC. In addition to funding research studies, funds will be used to recruit investigators and strengthen infrastructure in basic, epidemiologic and clinical cancer research at MMC. A critical mass of researchers in all these areas will strengthen the quality of MMC/VICC collaborative efforts. A sustained and comprehensive Cancer Partnership between MMC and VICC is of immense benefit to the two participating institutions as well as the mid-South region of the US. Our major collaborative successes including the Southern Community Cohort Study of urban and rural African Americans and Caucasians in the mid-South testify to our potential for meeting our goal of eliminating cancer disparities between African Americans and Caucasians.