Continued: Grant
“We also will be able to expand our research on cancer and other health disparities and strengthen our partnership with Claflin University to educate the next generation of public-health professionals, educators and scientists,” she said.
The grant’s co-principal investigators include Dr. Kim Creek of the South Carolina College of Pharmacy at USC and Dr. Rebecca Dillard of Claflin University.
The first award led to the establishment of the 4+1 Program that provides academic support for Claflin University students who obtain an undergraduate degree in biology at the Orangeburg campus and then complete their master’s degrees in public health at USC’s Arnold School.
Other successes from the initial award include research on the human papillomavirus that has been linked to cervical cancer and other diseases; HIV/AIDS research and community-outreach programs; and the establishment of community advisory committees that have been critical in identifying key health issues affecting the Orangeburg community.
The S.C. Medical Association devoted its monthly journal in December 2009 to IPEHD’s cervical-cancer research and community-outreach programs. The journal represented one of the first comprehensive statewide reports on cervical-cancer incidence and mortality, Glover said.