Just months after it was established, UNLV's School of Public Health received a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish an academic Center of Excellence for Health Disparities Research.

The three-year grant will help UNLV expand research and provide outreach and education to Nevada's minorities and other medically underserved populations.

According to the NIH National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, there is a profound disparity in health status among America's racial and ethnic minorities, resulting in part from a lack of knowledge about and treatment of serious health issues, including cancer, diabetes, AIDS, and infant mortality.

"This grant establishes the School of Public Health as a leader in biomedical and bio-behavioral research and policy development," says Michelle Chino, associate professor of public health and director of the new center. "Through research, community outreach, training, and education initiatives, UNLV can play a critical role in addressing and, ultimately, eliminating health disparities in Nevada and the nation."

The center is unique to Nevada and one of only three such facilities in the Intermountain West. The other two are located at the University of Arizona and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

The center will develop partnerships with several community agencies, such as the State Division of Health and the Clark County Health District, as well as with other entities on campus. In addition, the center will also host numerous workshops and sponsor an annual research forum.