Director's Welcome
Welcome to the Center for Research on Minority Health (CRMH), Division of Cancer Prevention & Population Sciences, Department of Health Disparities Research at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
In 2000, I became the founding director of the CRMH. Beginning with the founding of the Biennial Symposium on Minorities and Cancer in 1987 and culminating with the creation of the CRMH, we have begun to develop successful programs to address the differences in health outcomes among minorities and the medically underserved. As part of this symposium, I worked with former Congressman Mervyn Dymally and former Senator Lloyd Bentsen to co-author the congressional resolution designating the third week in April as "National Minority Cancer Awareness Week (NMCAW). Plans are underway for the 2009 National Minority Cancer Awareness Week Luncheon. We are looking forward to having a dynamic speaker for this event.
Since the first biennial symposium, the conference has evolved into the Biennial Symposium Series entitled "Minorities, the Medically Underserved and Cancer," the nation's largest multicultural conference which provides a forum for exchanging the latest scientific and treatment information. This biennial conference brings together people from all ethnic communities and social strata to share strategies for reducing the incidence of cancer among these populations. As an outgrowth of the Biennial Symposium Series, Dr. Armin Weinberg of Baylor College of Medicine and I founded the Intercultural Cancer Council, the nation's largest multicultural health policy group focused on minorities, the medically underserved and cancer.
In 1999, Congress provided funds for the creation of the CRMH. The uniqueness of the CRMH lies partly in its guiding principles which emphasize the related themes of advancing the scientific research base as it pertains to health disparities, involving the affected populations in determining research priorities, and communicating research findings to all stakeholders. Current research within the CRMH focuses on nutritional and environmental impact studies. In addition, the CRMH sponsors several scientific working groups comprised of M. D. Anderson physicians and researchers. These working groups identify ongoing research at M. D. Anderson that pertains to minority and medically underserved populations and suggest topics to be included in M. D. Anderson's research agenda.
The CRMH is also devoted to training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and providing support to faculty members interested in addressing health disparities issues. As such, the CRMH and the Texas Program for Society & Health at Rice University have created the Health Disparities Research, Education and Training Consortium. We are very interested in working with faculty to address recruitment and retention issues as they pertain to minorities and medically underserved populations. Several CRMH researchers are members of The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and participate in a number of graduate training programs.
As the only congressionally mandated center for research on minority health, we look forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. The CRMH faculty, fellows, students and I appreciate your interest in the CRMH website and hope that you will contact us for additional information.
Lovell Allan Jones, Ph.D.
CRMH Director