Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center: Structure, Innovations, and Initial Outcomes

R Renee Reams; Folakemi T Odedina; John D Carpten; Kinfe Redda; Mariana C Stern; Janice L Krieger; Jose Aparicio; Brooke Hensel; Nissa Askins; Andre Abreu; Angela Adams; Edward Agyare; Jamel Ali; John M Allen; Richard Aló; Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati; Jason Brant; Clyde P Brown; Sarah G Buxbaum; Pinchas Cohen; Wendy Cozen; Miriam O Ezenwa; Sara Falzarano; Roger B Fillingim; Hernan Flores-Rozas; Kristianna M Fredenburg; Thomas George; Bo Han; Yong Huang; Chanita Hughes Halbert; Gebre-Egziabher Kiros; Nazarius S Lamango; Ji-Hyun Lee; Debra E Lyon; Duane A Mitchell; Bereket Mochona; Jorge J Nieva; Ite A Offringa; Paul Okunieff; Alexander Parker; Suhn K Rhie; Joyce M Richey; Sherise C Rogers; Bodour Salhia; Thomas D Schmittgen; Richard Segal; Veronica W Setiawan; Ukamaka Smith; Li-Ming Su; Sandra Suther; Jose Trevino; Enrique I Velazquez-Villarreal; Fern J Webb; Anna H Wu; Yingwei Yao; Diana J Wilkie

doi:10.1177/10732748231197878

Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE²) Health Equity Center: Structure, Innovations, and Initial Outcomes

Cancer Control. 2023 Jan-Dec:30:10732748231197878. doi: 10.1177/10732748231197878.

Authors

R Renee Reams¹, Folakemi T Odedina², John D Carpten³, Kinfe Redda¹, Mariana C Stern⁴, Janice L Krieger⁵, Jose Aparicio⁶, Brooke Hensel⁷, Nissa Askins⁸, Andre Abreu⁹, Angela Adams¹⁰, Edward Agyare¹, Jamel Ali^{1

11}, John M Allen¹², Richard Aló¹³, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati⁴, Jason Brant¹⁴, Clyde P Brown¹, Sarah G Buxbaum¹, Pinchas Cohen¹⁵, Wendy Cozen¹⁶, Miriam O Ezenwa⁷, Sara Falzarano¹⁷, Roger B Fillingim¹⁸, Hernan Flores-Rozas¹, Kristianna M Fredenburg¹⁷, Thomas George¹⁹, Bo Han²⁰, Yong Huang²¹, Chanita Hughes Halbert⁴, Gebre-Egziabher Kiros¹, Nazarius S Lamango¹, Ji-Hyun Lee¹⁴, Debra E Lyon⁷, Duane A Mitchell²², Bereket Mochona²³, Jorge J Nieva²⁴, Ite A Offringa^{20

25}, Paul Okunieff²⁶, Alexander Parker²⁷, Suhn K Rhie²⁵, Joyce M Richey²⁸, Sherise C Rogers¹⁹, Bodour Salhia³, Thomas D Schmittgen¹⁰, Richard Segal²⁹, Veronica W Setiawan²⁴, Ukamaka Smith¹, Li-Ming Su³⁰, Sandra Suther¹, Jose Trevino³¹, Enrique I Velazquez-Villarreal³, Fern J Webb³², Anna H Wu³, Yingwei Yao⁷, Diana J Wilkie⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
² Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
³ Department of Translational Genomics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Departments of Population and Public Health Sciences, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Advertising, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
⁶ Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁷ Department of Behavioral Nursing Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
⁸ Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
⁹ Department of Urology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
¹¹ Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
¹² Department of Pharmacotherapy & Translational Research, University of Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.
¹³ College of Science and Technology, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
¹⁵ University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
¹⁶ Division of Hematology/Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
¹⁸ Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Medicine in the College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
²⁰ Departments of Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
²¹ Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
²² Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
²³ Department of Chemistry, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL USA.
²⁴ Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
²⁵ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
²⁶ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
²⁷ College of Medicine, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
²⁸ Department of Clinical Physiology and Neuroscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
²⁹ Department of Pharmaceutical Outcome and Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
³⁰ Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
³¹ Department of Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
³² Department of Surgery, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA.

Abstract

Introduction: The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education, and Engagement (CaRE²) Health Equity Center is a triad partnership committed to increasing institutional capacity for cancer disparity research, the diversity of the cancer workforce, and community empowerment. This article provides an overview of the structure, process innovations, and initial outcomes from the first 4 years of the CaRE² triad partnership.

Methods: CaRE² serves diverse populations in Florida and California using a "molecule to the community and back" model. We prioritize research on the complex intersection of biological, environmental, and social determinants health, working together with scientific and health disparities communities, sharing expertise across institutions, bidirectional training, and community outreach. Partnership progress and outcomes were assessed using mixed methods and four Program Steering Committee meetings.

Results: Research capacity was increased through development of a Living Repository of 81 cancer model systems from minority patients for novel cancer drug development. CaRE² funded 15 scientific projects resulting in 38 publications. Workforce diversity entailed supporting 94 cancer trainees (92 URM) and 34 ESIs (32 URM) who coauthored 313 CaRE²-related publications and received 48 grants. Community empowerment was promoted via outreaching to more than 3000 individuals, training 145 community cancer advocates (including 28 Community Scientist Advocates), and publishing 10 community reports. CaRE² members and trainees together have published 639 articles, received 61 grants, and 57 awards.

Conclusion: The CaRE² partnership has achieved its initial aims. Infrastructure for translational cancer research was expanded at one partner institution, and cancer disparities research was expanded at the two cancer centers.

Keywords: lung cancer; outcomes; pancreatic cancer; prostate cancer; translation.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

California
Florida
Health Equity*
Humans
Minority Groups
Neoplasms* / therapy

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding