Third Cross-Cultural Health Care Conference: Collaborative and Multidisciplinary Interventions, February 8-9, 2013 — Invited Speaker —
RMATRIX: Cross-Cultural Research Mentoring — Cultural and Interdisciplinary Features Jerris R. Hedges MD, MS, MMM; Todd B. Seto MD, MPH; Bruce Shiramizu MD The reasons for the persistent, and sometime substantial, racial/ ethnic health disparities among minority populations are likely related to differences in individual, societal, and cultural factors. Efforts to reduce these disparities likely require a culturally appropriate and interdisciplinary approach by investigators. The goal of the University of Hawai‘i’s (UH) RCMI Multidisciplinary and Translational Research Infrastructure Expansion (RMATRIX) program (NIMHD U54MD007584, PI: Hedges) is to support investigators who are working to reduce health disparities, particularly among Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) and in two areas: Nutrition and Metabolic Health, and Perinatal Growth and Development. The RMATRIX Key Functions provide infrastructure support to our multidisciplinary investigators. For example, the Research Design and Biostatistics Key Function successfully partner with investigators within UH John A. Burns School of Medicine, across UH, and in the community. Over the past year, the team has collaborated on 36 extramural grants, authored/co-authored 27 manuscripts, and consulted on 127
projects. Similarly, the Hawai‘i Biospecimen Repository, part of the Biomedical Informatics Key Function consists of >7,500 placental samples with clinical data that has been the basis for a number of interdisciplinary collaborations. An example of a young investigator-initiated pilot study supported by RMATRIX includes the The Ola Hou Pilot Study (PI: Kaimi Sinclair, PhD), which is a community-based participatory research study evaluating the impact of hula on cardio-metabolic health and hypertension. Looking ahead, RMATRIX will continue to support investigators through its key functions, mentorship to young investigators, and opportunities for research through the Pilot Projects program, with the goal to reduce health disparities among NHOPI. Conflict of Interest None of the authors report a conflict of interest. Authors’ Affiliation: - University of Hawai‘i, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
HAWAI‘I JOURNAL OF MEDICINE & PUBLIC HEALTH, AUGUST 2013, VOL 72, NO 8, SUPPLEMENT 3 4
RMATRIX: Cross-Cultural Research Mentoring — Cultural and Interdisciplinary Features Jerris R. Hedges MD, MS, MMM; Todd B. Seto MD, MPH; Bruce Shiramizu MD The reasons for the persistent, and sometime substantial, racial/ ethnic health disparities among minority populations are likely related to differences in individual, societal, and cultural factors. Efforts to reduce these disparities likely require a culturally appropriate and interdisciplinary approach by investigators. The goal of the University of Hawai‘i’s (UH) RCMI Multidisciplinary and Translational Research Infrastructure Expansion (RMATRIX) program (NIMHD U54MD007584, PI: Hedges) is to support investigators who are working to reduce health disparities, particularly among Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) and in two areas: Nutrition and Metabolic Health, and Perinatal Growth and Development. The RMATRIX Key Functions provide infrastructure support to our multidisciplinary investigators. For example, the Research Design and Biostatistics Key Function successfully partner with investigators within UH John A. Burns School of Medicine, across UH, and in the community. Over the past year, the team has collaborated on 36 extramural grants, authored/co-authored 27 manuscripts, and consulted on 127
projects. Similarly, the Hawai‘i Biospecimen Repository, part of the Biomedical Informatics Key Function consists of >7,500 placental samples with clinical data that has been the basis for a number of interdisciplinary collaborations. An example of a young investigator-initiated pilot study supported by RMATRIX includes the The Ola Hou Pilot Study (PI: Kaimi Sinclair, PhD), which is a community-based participatory research study evaluating the impact of hula on cardio-metabolic health and hypertension. Looking ahead, RMATRIX will continue to support investigators through its key functions, mentorship to young investigators, and opportunities for research through the Pilot Projects program, with the goal to reduce health disparities among NHOPI. Conflict of Interest None of the authors report a conflict of interest. Authors’ Affiliation: - University of Hawai‘i, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
HAWAI‘I JOURNAL OF MEDICINE & PUBLIC HEALTH, AUGUST 2013, VOL 72, NO 8, SUPPLEMENT 3 4
