The University of Michigan (U-M) has been selected to establish a health equity research hub as part of a nationwide initiative to combat health disparities. Funded by a $6.75 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this hub is one of five sharing in a $37 million investment from the NIH’s Common Fund to operate ComPASS Health Equity Research Hubs.
U-M’s hub, led by the School of Public Health, will provide crucial support for community-led research projects aimed at reversing health inequities that affect millions of Americans. The initiative focuses on addressing disparities in access to food, health care, and other essential needs that contribute to poorer health outcomes in certain populations.
Justin Heinze and Roshanak Mehdipanah, both associate professors of health behavior and health equity, will direct the hub. Mehdipanah emphasized the multidisciplinary nature of the project, stating, “It will bring together a multidisciplinary team of researchers and community practitioners with extensive experience in applied community-based participatory research, practice and policy focused on addressing structural determinants of health with an equity lens.”
The hub will involve 17 researchers from various schools and colleges across U-M, including the School of Nursing and Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Key partners include the Michigan Institute for Clinical Research and Poverty Solutions initiative. The research will focus on health inequities related to health care access, food access, and the built environment.
Heinze highlighted the hub’s role in supporting community-led interventions: “Our job as a hub is to be a centralized research resource for them, providing tailored scientific, technical and collaborative support to support the interventions happening in those communities.”
This initiative is part of the NIH’s broader ComPASS program, designed to empower community-based organizations in researching, designing, implementing, and assessing projects that address community needs and reduce health disparities.
“U-M selected as NIH research hub for nationwide effort to enhance community-led, health equity work” (October 2, 2024)