UW News

April 17, 2003

Teach-in on minority health issues set for April 30

A teach-in on minority health issues is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 30, in room T-513 of the Health Sciences Center. The event is open to everyone.

The sponsor is the School of Nursing’s Center for the Advancement of Health Disparities Research, established last fall with a five-year grant from the National Institute for Nursing Research, part of the National Institutes of Health. The UW Center operates in conjunction with the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

The Center focuses on developing research projects to address health disparities among minority groups, and also aims to develop researchers interested in these problems. Among other activities, the Center is providing funding for pilot projects and recruiting a team of faculty mentors to work with beginning researchers.

The minority health teach-in is the group’s first UW-based event. Dr. Bobbie Berkowitz, chair of the Department of Psychosocial Nursing and Community Health, is the principal investigator and director of the Seattle site. She noted that the event should promote awareness of minority health concerns and may spark ideas for future research.

Faculty members who would be interested in the mentoring program are particularly encouraged to attend, Berkowitz noted. Those who aren’t able to come to the program can also contact the Center at 206-616-6136.