Mission and Vision

Despite efforts, members of ethnic and racial minority groups continue to experience excess rates of morbidity and mortality from chronic health conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Identifying factors that contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in health and translating this information into sustainable interventions that are delivered in clinical and community settings is now a national priority to improve health outcomes in medically underserved populations. To reduce and ultimately eliminate racial disparities, multi-disciplinary research that actively involves community stakeholders is critical.

The mission of the Center for Community-Based Research and Health Disparities in the Department of Psychiatry is to identify sociocultural, psychological, environmental, and behavioral determinants of racial and ethnic disparities and to translate this information into sustainable strategies that are delivered in community and clinic settings to improve health outcomes among racial and ethnic minorities. The Center uses a community-based participatory research framework to achieve these objectives and actively involves community stakeholders and academic investigators from diverse disciplines that include psychology, internal medicine, oncology, epidemiology, biostatistics, communication science, anthropology, and public health.

By conducting innovative, transdisciplinary research to identify factors that contribute to racial disparities in health and translating this knowledge into effective interventions through academic and community partnerships, the Center for Community-Based Research and Health Disparities will enhance the elimination and reduction of racial and ethnic disparities.