Fouad has worked tirelessly to establish the validity of health disparities as a national scientific research priority. There has been an unprecedented expansion of health disparities research at UAB and in collaborative relationships with national and international grant partners, as well as an increase in the number of researchers and young scholars pursuing careers in minority health and health disparities.

Fouad plays a prominent leadership role in a partnership among historically black colleges and universities to train minority researchers and leaders to eliminate health disparities. She serves as the principal investigator for the NIMHD-funded Centers of Excellence, in which she is responsible for the training and career development of minority students and faculty to enhance their research capabilities. Under Fouad’s leadership, the MHRC has been continually funded as a National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Centers of Excellence for the past 15 years.