# Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative

> **NIH NIH U54** · NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $368,737

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The overall goal of SHERC is to increase basic biomedical, clinical, and behavioral research at NAU to
address health disparities among diverse populations of the Southwestern United States. In the first 5 years,
we will increase research capacity in the areas of environmental and community health, building on a strong
research base at NAU. Over time, SHERC will work closely with community partners to expand capacity to
address health disparities in chronic and infectious diseases, as well as high-priority behavioral health
conditions, as determined by community partners. SHERC consists of five cores that all interact synergistically.
Each of the SHERC cores provides a clear opportunity for innovation individually; in combination, they
demonstrate significant impact in innovation. The Administrative Core combines evidence-based
organizational theory with a tested but novel use of a “continuous improvement” model of program assessment
and feedback. The Research Infrastructure Core will focus on infrastructure improvement for the SHERC
basic research, informatics, clinical, and community engaged science programs. In addition, it will take a
leadership role in improving the interdisciplinary science efforts in biomedical, clinical, and community health
science initiatives throughout NAU. The Investigator Development Core will support the development of early
career investigators in basic biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences at NAU through two innovative
programs: a Pilot Project Program (PPP) to support faculty and a Postdoctoral Scholar Program (PSP) to
support and mentor postdoctoral researchers. The Community Engagement Core uses an innovative four-
direction Framework for Inquiry and Action that will represent the shared and distinct determinants of health in
Arizona. The five Research Projects include the following innovative studies: Pearson's research project will
define and contrast S. aureus carriage and circulating genotypes with clinical genotypes and infection
prevalence to better understand how social interactions impact transmission. Kellar and Propper seek to
enhance current research on the relationship between environmental contaminants and clinical complications
such as non-healing chronic wounds. The Varadaraj study will exploit a cellular adaptation in tumors, to
determine whether altering fibrillogenesis in such states will switch premalignant cells to malignant cells and
whether preinvasive cells would become invasive.
Naren's study
has the potential to improve and extend
reovirus based cancer therapies.
Fofonav's study
may identify individuals with an oral microbiome that is more
susceptible to early childhood caries (ECC) or individuals with particularly pathogenic strains of S. mutans and
S. sobrinus.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10180784
- **Project number:** 3U54MD012388-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Julie A. Baldwin
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $368,737
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-09-20 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10180784

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10180784, Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (3U54MD012388-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10180784. Licensed CC0.

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