Grant Funding Blog

Smoking and Homelessness
Kola Okuyemi, MD, MPH, Director for the Medical School's Program in Health Disparities Research and Cancer Center member was recently awarded a 4-year $2.8 million R01 grant by the National Institutes of Health (NHLBI) for a study titled, "Improving NRT Adherence and Outcomes in Homeless Smokers". This study fills a critical gap in smoking research by extending smoking cessation research to a poor and underserved population using pharmacotherapy and motivational counseling. Research outcomes will provide a model on overcoming barriers to cancer prevention services among homeless persons. Among the 4 million homeless people in the U.S., at least 70% are cigarette smokers.

American Cancer Society Grant Awarded For Web-based Smoking Cessation Intervention
Program in Health Disparities Research postdoctoral associate Jennifer Warren, PhD received award notification from the American Cancer Society for a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship grant. In addition to receiving mentoring and completing coursework in cancer prevention, she will be conducting a study titled, Web-based Cessation Intervention among African American Light Smokers.

NIH Native Investigator Development Program
Program in Health Disparities Research faculty member Tiffany Beckman, MD, was awarded the Native Investigator Development Program sponsored by the Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) in the American Indian and Alaska Native Programs at the University of Colorado Health Sciences. The grant's purpose is to increase the number of Native American and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Principal Investigators; currently only 14 out of 35,000 Principal Investigators are AI/AN. The two-year grant includes training in Seattle and Denver, development of a pilot study, and assistance with preparation of K or R01 grant during year two.

Ramsey County Center for National Children's Study
Program in Health Disparities Research faculty member Pat Fontaine, MD, MS, received a five-year $1.3 million award as co-investigator of a grant from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in October 2007 to establish a center for Ramsey County for the National Childresn's Study. The study examines environmental influences on pregnancy health along with infant, child, and youth health and development.