# Morehouse School of Medicine/Tuskegee University/UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Partnership

> **NIH NIH U54** · MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $1,101,911

## Abstract

7. PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT:
This type-2 application is to strengthen and build upon the established U54 Partnership between Morehouse
School of Medicine (MSM), Tuskegee University (TU), and the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center
(UABCCC). The Partnership, located in the heart of the Southeast, a region with a large, historically
underserved, African American population, has the overall goal of attaining excellence in research focused on
elimination of cancer health disparities and on reducing the cancer burden among underserved populations in
the region. The partnering institutions possess unique strengths that complement each other in achieving the
proposed goal through integrated research, education, and outreach. The primary objectives are to enhance
productive cancer research programs, to develop a pipeline of racial/ethnic minority investigators in cancer
research at MSM and TU, and to increase the level of involvement of investigators conducting research on
cancer disparities at the UAB CCC. The Partnership has four Cores (Administrative, Outreach, Research
Education, and Planning & Evaluation); two Full Research Projects; a Pilot Research Project; and two Shared
Resources (Bioethics and Biostatistics/Bioinformatics). With these assets and activities, the Partnership will: 1)
through the full projects, identify molecular mechanisms and new therapeutic targets for metastatic prostate
cancer, which is present at a higher rate in African American men, and, through the pilot project, adapt the
current, successful patient navigation program for racial/ethnic minority recruitment at the UAB CCC for
implementation at the MSM and Grady Hospital; 2) through the Outreach Core, apply an innovative cancer
survivor care plan at MSM, TU, and the UAB CCC by linking community- and health system-based patient
navigators and advisors to improve satisfaction with care, and implement culturally appropriate community
health education for cancer survivors and caregivers; 3) through the Research Education Core, employ an
integrated cancer research education program that involves capacity building and linkages to undergraduate
and graduate students and junior faculty, allowing them to pursue careers in cancer research; and 4) provide
funding for additional Pilot Research projects. The Planning & Evaluation Core will continually assess/evaluate
the outcomes of the cores, research projects, and shared resources. The Bioethics Shared Resource will
promote and ensure adherence to bioethical principles and address ethical considerations in relationships
between the institutions and between the institutions and communities. The Biostatistics/Bioinformatics Shared
Resource will deliver statistical and bioinformatics support for all activities. Together, we will contribute to
elimination of cancer health disparities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10007607
- **Project number:** 5U54CA118638-15
- **Recipient organization:** MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** James W Lillard
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $1,101,911
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2005-09-30 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10007607

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10007607, Morehouse School of Medicine/Tuskegee University/UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Partnership (5U54CA118638-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10007607. Licensed CC0.

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