Health Disparities News and Research

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Health disparities (also called healthcare inequality in some countries) refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and socioeconomic groups.

Stanford bioethicist wins 2015 MacLean Center Prize in Clinical Ethics and Health Outcomes

The 2015 MacLean Center Prize in Clinical Ethics and Health Outcomes, a $50,000 award, will be presented to Laura Roberts, MD, MA, a graduate of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, who is chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine and an internationally recognized scholar in bioethics, psychiatry, medicine and medical education.

3 Nov 2015

Single gene variation may influence obesity in children, adults

A single variation in the gene for brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) may influence obesity in children and adults, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

30 Oct 2015

Negative stereotypes have adverse effects on patients' health

A national study led by a USC researcher found people who encountered the threat of being judged by negative stereotypes related to weight, age, race, gender, or social class in health care settings reported adverse effects.

20 Oct 2015

Johns Hopkins members to be honored with American Academy of Nursing's Fellows recognition

Faculty members at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing will be honored in all three categories of the American Academy of Nursing's Fellows recognition. Sharon Kozachik, PhD, RN, and Jennifer Wenzel, PhD, RN, CCM, will be inducted as Fellows, Laura Gitlin, PhD, will be awarded an Honorary fellowship, and Fannie Gaston-Johansson, PhD, RN, FAAN, will be recognized as a Living Legend—the academy's highest distinction.

16 Oct 2015

Researchers reveal effects of Affordable Care Act on low-income Virginians with HIV

In an important examination of the effect of the Affordable Care Act, researchers have determined that low-income Virginians with HIV had better outcomes when enrolled in Affordable Care Act healthcare plans. The study is believed to be the first to compare Affordable Care Act outcomes with the previous standard of care for this vulnerable patient population.

15 Oct 2015

UI Cancer Center and GSU to help reduce cancer-related health disparities in Chicago's south suburbs

The greatest burden of cancer in the Chicago region has moved from the city to the suburbs. The University of Illinois Cancer Center and Governors State University have received a joint four-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to help both institutions conduct community-based research to reduce cancer-related health disparities in Chicago's south suburbs.

14 Oct 2015

Nobel Laureate Harold Varmus, MD to delivery anniversary discourse at The New York Academy of Medicine November 5

Harold Varmus, MD, co-recipient of the 1989 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Lewis Thomas University Professor of Medicine at Meyer Cancer Center of Weill Cornell Medical College, will deliver the 168th Anniversary Discourse at The New York Academy of Medicine. The event will take place on Thursday, November 5, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. at the Academy (1216 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street) and is free and open to the public with registration.

13 Oct 2015

Pitt research team awarded NIH grant to study impact of substance abuse on adolescent brain development

A research team in the department of psychiatry, at the University of Pittsburgh, has been awarded a $5 Million National Institutes of Health grant to participate in a multi-site study focusing on the impact of adolescent marijuana, alcohol and other drug use on the developing brain.

9 Oct 2015

Study describes new genome screen that identifies partner molecules of cell-waste disposal proteins

Rhythmic expression of key genes is essential for maintaining proper timekeeping of the body's clock. In addition, rhythmic degradation of clockwork proteins is also crucial. However, surprisingly, researchers know little about these specific processes.

7 Oct 2015

Einstein researchers awarded $2.9 million NIH grant to promote healthy sleep among preschoolers

An estimated 25 to 50 percent of preschoolers do not get enough healthy sleep. Now, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have been awarded a five-year, $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to promote healthy sleep among these children. The investigators will partner with Head Start, the early childhood program for disadvantaged preschool children and their families.

1 Oct 2015

NIH-supported study explores effects of substance use on adolescent brain development

The National Institutes of Health today awarded 13 grants to research institutions around the country as part of a landmark study about the effects of adolescent substance use on the developing brain.

26 Sep 2015

UIC to develop and test outreach program to improve children’s oral health in Chicago

The University of Illinois at Chicago will develop and test an outreach program to reduce cavities in Chicago's low-income and minority infants and toddlers under a five-year, $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

22 Sep 2015

Using integrated molecular pathology to manage incidental pancreatic cysts: an interview with Dr Ananya Das

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms, or PCNs, are a subset of all pancreatic cysts that are found on the pancreas. PCNs are neoplastic cysts that span a biological spectrum from benign to malignant.

15 Sep 2015

Qualitative RPCI study evaluates attitudes toward smoking cessation in Northern Appalachia

Significant differences in attitudes toward smoking cessation are reported between two generations of smokers in Northern Appalachia in new research from Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

14 Sep 2015

CHAM, AECC receive $1.3 million NCI grant to advance more effective bone cancer treatments for children

The Children's Hospital at Montefiore and the NCI-designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center today announced receipt of $1.3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

9 Sep 2015

Smoke-free workplace, tax hikes discourage youth from taking up smoking

Banning smoking in the workplace and increasing taxes on cigarettes have discouraged teens and young adults from taking up smoking, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Merced.

9 Sep 2015

Reducing SSB intake among children and adolescents associated with greater increase in HDL-C

In the first study to investigate blood lipid levels in association with consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of Boston area schoolchildren, researchers found there was an inverse association between SSB intake changes and HDL-cholesterol increases (HDL-C is the "good cholesterol").

3 Sep 2015

New UC Davis Environmental Health Sciences Center launched to protect communities from unhealthy exposures

A cross-disciplinary center focused on identifying connections between environmental toxins and disease has been established at UC Davis Health System with the ultimate goal of developing preventions and policies that protect communities from unhealthy exposures.

1 Sep 2015

Penn Medicine hospitals named among HRC Foundation's 'Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality' list

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and Chester County Hospital were announced among the 2015 class of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation's "Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality" list, and the first to be announced in the organization's rolling admissions in 2015.