Addressing disparities

Addressing health care disparities through research and community engagement is a core value of the School of Medicine, the Department of Surgery and its Division of Public Health Sciences. The work of epidemiologist Bettina Drake, PhD, MPH, exemplifies these values. She co-leads the Prostate Cancer Community Partnership, which promotes prostate cancer screening among African-American men. She also develops epidemiologic studies in this high-risk group to identify modifiable factors that can be addressed through intervention or educational tools. The nature of the division’s research is a strong draw for faculty who are members of underrepresented minorities, both within the division and across the school. “It’s not just faculty, but staff that’s diverse,” says Drake. “That provides a welcoming environment for faculty candidates, post-docs and applicants to our master’s program who are underrepresented minorities.” The division’s expertise also has attracted collaborators school-wide.