Program in Health Disparities (PriHD) Research
Mission and Vision
Our vision is to use, and train others to use, an inter-disciplinary lens to design, implement, and evaluate strategies to eliminate health and health care disparities.
The Program in Health Disparities Research seeks to foster multidisciplinary, policy-relevant research to improve the health and healthcare of under-served communities through community and academic partnerships in research, teaching, and dissemination of knowledge. Central to its mission is the development and training of new investigators in health disparities research, strengthening and empowering communities of color to address health disparities, and enhancing the national visibility of health disparities research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. PriHD Reearch brings together a diverse and multidisciplinary group of investigators with expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods to address complex social, environmental and organizational issues affecting under-served populations.
Our mission is to support researchers and trainees from various disciplines who are committed to conducting rigorous and action-oriented research to address factors at all levels of the socio-ecological framework that drive and perpetuate health disparities. Our continuing Interdisciplinary Seminar in Health Equity serves to inform and connect health disparities researchers and students through monthly presentations and discussion.
PriHD Team
PriHD Research partnering investigators have expertise in and use a variety of methodological approaches in the conduct of their work and they are using innovative solutions and partnerships to accomplish their goals. Some of our research areas include:
- Food insecurity and medically tailored meals to improve chronic illness outcomes among individuals with diabetes
- Accountable care organizations and health care disparities
- Rural health disparities
- Disparities in health care delivery and health insurance quality
- Mental and behavioral health needs
- Medical-legal partnerships as a strategy for addressing health-harming social needs
Strategies
To accomplish our mission and vision, we partner with other Programs, Centers, and Departments, as well as community and government stakeholders to conduct and support cross-disciplinary research, education, and training.