The Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center’s (MHERC) Training Program nurtures talented students and early-stage investigators, as well as helps established researchers and health care professionals develop the knowledge and skills necessary to reduce health disparities and achieve health equity. To do this, our team leads and manages several initiatives that prepares participants from various backgrounds—including undergraduate students, graduate and medical students, and early-career faculty and post-doctoral researchers for productive and impactful careers in health equity research.

In the last phase of training, independent investigators and physician scientists learn research methods, data analysis, and time management skills to write manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals. For some, their path to independent investigator may be assisted by pilot research funding from the MHERC.

Upon completion of a training program, our alumni are encouraged to engage and network with past, present, and future trainees. These opportunities include speaking at events, mentoring, community outreach, and recruiting students to our programs.

Our center brings together resources and participants from a variety of institutions and organizations, such as the Morehouse, Tuskegee, O’Neal at UAB Cancer Partnership, the UAB/Tuskegee FIRST Partnership, and the Deep South Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR), to advance career development in health equity research.

We are continually adding initiatives and partnering with other programs to provide opportunities for individuals at any career stage to strengthen their knowledge and skills for health equity research.