# 2/2 Southeast Partnership for Improving Research & Training in Cancer Health Disparities

> **NIH NIH P20** · LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER · 2020 · $247,788

## Abstract

The Southeast Partnership for Improving Research & Training in Cancer Health Disparities (SPIRIT-
CHD) unites the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), an institution serving
underserved populations and underrepresented students (ISUPS), and the NCI-designated Moffitt Cancer
Center (MCC) to advance translational research on the biological mechanisms of cancer health disparities
focusing on biospecimen-based research and precision medicine. It also seeks to establish a joint cancer
research education program focused on biobanking and precision medicine education. LSUHSC serves a
region characterized by an underserved African-American population, and rampant cancer health disparities in
the wake of Hurricane Katrina. This region has several growing racial/ethnic minority populations. After
Hurricane Katrina, the Hispanic population in Louisiana doubled and is now the fastest growing ethnic minority.
MCC is located in Tampa, Florida and serves an increasingly wide catchment area characterized by a
population diverse in regard to age, race/ethnicity, language and literacy, and is home to an increasing Latino
population. Precision medicine research requires: a well-managed, ethnically and racially diverse biospecimen
repository; state of the art technology in genomics, epigenomics and ancestry analysis; availability of language,
cultural and literacy specific educational tools and resources; and a research education infrastructure that
promotes a pipeline of trainees in cancer disparities research. MCC is a national leader and pioneer in these
areas, has highly integrated research programs, and seeks to expand the diversity of their biospecimen
research endeavors. This partnership is based on two Specific Aims. Specific Aim 1: Plan and execute two
collaborative pilot research projects. The first pilot research project focuses on breast cancer genomics,
studying biospecimens from Hispanic/Latina patients of mixed genetic ancestry (African, Native American,
European) by RNA sequencing (RNASeq) and methylation analysis, to study correlations between molecular
subtypes, gene expression profiles, clinical outcomes and ancestry. This project will support the career
development of racial/ethnic minority early-stage investigators at LSUHSC and MCC. Specific Aim 2: Plan a
collaborative three-pronged cancer research education program that includes: 1) a hands-on summer research
experience for undergraduate and medical students; 2) delivery of a curriculum to those students focusing on
biobanking, precision medicine and cancer health disparities; and 3) expansion of outreach education to our
respective communities about biobanking, precision medicine and cancer health disparities. The combination
of these collaborative partnership activities is expected to offer mutual benefit to each institution to impact
cancer health disparities, inspire the next generation of researchers, and rapidly lead to the submission of
competitive grant applicati...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10005277
- **Project number:** 5P20CA202922-04
- **Recipient organization:** LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Paula Elizabeth Gregory
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $247,788
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-21 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10005277

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10005277, 2/2 Southeast Partnership for Improving Research & Training in Cancer Health Disparities (5P20CA202922-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10005277. Licensed CC0.

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