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November is Native American Heritage Month. As we celebrate the significant contributions to America—from its history through present day—by people who represent Native communities, we recognize researchers who are promoting health equity through their work to advance the science of minority health and health disparities.
In the United States, type 2 diabetes (T2D) is more common in all racial and ethnic minority groups than in non-Hispanic White populations. T2D that is not properly controlled significantly raises the risk of serious complications, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and stroke. Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet low in refined grains, added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats is a critical part of managing T2D. However, it can be challenging for people experiencing food insecurity to access the nutritious foods needed to maintain a healthy diet.
After finishing medical school in the Rwandan capital of Kigali, M. Grace Duhuze Karera, M.D., M.Sc., moved to the country’s rural western province for postgraduate service at Bushenge Provincial Hospital. From the top floor of the hospital’s hilltop building, a view of a beautiful lake and miles of rolling hills unfolds.
American Indian people with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) are more likely to have a lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than those without T2D. A new study in Cherokee Nation citizens from Oklahoma finds that this increased risk may be due to things that influence psychological or social wellbeing, collectively called psychosocial factors. Some psychosocial factors that may lower HRQoL include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), lack of social support, or low levels of resilience. Addressing these factors could improve HRQoL for American Indian people with diabetes.
Obesity is associated with both increased risk of breast cancer and increased risk of death after breast cancer diagnosis. Understanding the association between body composition, including the amount and distribution of fat in the body, and breast cancer is important.
The NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) hosts poster sessions every year for recent college graduates (postbaccalaureate students, or “postbacs”) throughout the NIH Institutes to present their research to review panels and peers. The event provides an opportunity for these early scientists to share their NIH research while developing their communication and networking skills. Posters are reviewed by teams composed of graduate students, postdoctoral students, and staff scientists.
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) pursuant to Public Law 116-260, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 has awarded funds to 11 research institutions to establish and support regional comprehensive research centers on the prevention, treatment, and management of comorbid chronic diseases that disproportionately affect populations with health disparities.
Conversation with Dr. Guadalupe X. Ayala, San Diego State University
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this year, we are recognizing prominent researchers impacting minority health and health disparities at institutions that are historically committed to training populations underrepresented in science.
Even as a young girl attending primary school in rural Rwanda, M. C. Sage Ishimwe, M.B.B.S, M.P.H., already knew that she wanted to help her community become healthy. She began medical school in 2011 at the University of Rwanda College of Medicine & Health Sciences and soon joined the Rwanda Village Community Promoters, a student organization dedicated to improving health standards in underserved communities.
