Program Will Fund Genomics Research at Historically Black Medical Colleges

Sept. 30, 2022
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative supporting genomics programs at Charles Drew University College of Medicine; Howard University College of Medicine; Meharry Medical College and Morehouse School of Medicine

The Accelerate Precision Health program will award $46 million total in funding, or $11.5 million per institution, over the next five years to four Historically Black Medical Colleges (HBMCs) to support the scientific research they are doing to address significant gaps in genomics research.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) program will seek to advance genomics research by investing in genomics programs at Charles Drew University College of Medicine in Los Angeles; Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C.; Meharry Medical College in Nashville; and Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Through the partnership, the HBMCs will expand research opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students; support the creation of a new Master of Science program in Genetic Counseling; support recruitment of anchor faculty in genomics; and fund state-of-the-art tools for data handling, storage, and analysis, among other elements.

“It’s important to underscore that for Black Americans, there is a large gap between representation and need in genomics research, and the time is now to support the intersection of genomics and health differences research that will advance science. Research shows that expanding representation leads to innovative discoveries,” said CZI’s Senior Science Advisor Hannah Valantine, in a statement. “Actively engaging HBMCs and the communities they serve in genomics research is a necessary approach to harness new perspectives that will fuel creative interdisciplinary research, unleash innovations that have yet to be conceived, and accelerate precision health equity.”

“Morehouse School of Medicine is thrilled to partner with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative on the Accelerate Precision Health program,” said Morehouse School of Medicine President and CEO Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D., in a statement. “CZI support will allow MSM to expand our educational programs and our world-class genomics research enterprise simultaneously. Through this partnership, MSM will train more graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, hire additional research scientists, and establish an endowed faculty position funded by CZI. These measures will enhance Morehouse School of Medicine’s continued commitment to academic excellence, service, and innovation as we lead the creation and advancement of health equity.”

This grant is part of a multi-year, $500 million investment CZI announced in December 2020 to support organizations leading the way to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion efforts.

Sponsored Recommendations

The Healthcare Provider's Guide to Accelerating Clinician Onboarding

Improve clinician satisfaction and productivity to enhance patient care

ASK THE EXPERT: ServiceNow’s Erin Smithouser on what C-suite healthcare executives need to know about artificial intelligence

Generative artificial intelligence, also known as GenAI, learns from vast amounts of existing data and large language models to help healthcare organizations improve hospital ...

TEST: Ask the Expert: Is Your Patients' Understanding Putting You at Risk?

Effective health literacy in healthcare is essential for ensuring informed consent, reducing medical malpractice risks, and enhancing patient-provider communication. Unfortunately...

From Strategy to Action: The Power of Enterprise Value-Based Care

Ever wonder why your meticulously planned value-based care model hasn't moved beyond the concept stage? You're not alone! Transition from theory to practice with enterprise value...