Cancer Racial disparity is a serious medical concern. One factor driving this phenomenon is the lack of racially diverse individuals engaged in research and medical intervention. Due to a history of mistrust and disenfranchisement, African and Hispanic Americans seek medical assistance later and, thereby, present with advanced medical issues (i.e., late stage cancers). The absence of individuals of color in key positions within universities and hospitals diminish diverse perspectives in research choices and a sense of kinship between faculty/physicians and students/patients. This can be ameliorated by building a diverse population of faculty and clinical investigators. This is critical in efforts to reduce medical issues such as cancer health disparity. The long-term goal of this proposed project is to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority students pursuing research careers in the biomedical sciences with an emphasis on studying the biology of cancer. The overall strategy is to recruit and select highly qualified students and to provide them with quality laboratory experiences. This will enable them to develop qualifications and references needed for entry into the strongest graduate/medical programs in the country.
