The Native Center for Alcohol Research Education (NCARE) and Native-Controlling Hypertension and Risk Through Technology (NCHART) Webinar Series presents:

Considerations for Culturally Centering Evidence-Based Treatments among American Indian and Alaska Native Communities, with Dr. Kait Hirchak (Eastern Shoshone), Assistant Research Professor in WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.

Dr. Hirchak will highlight two case studies to describe re-centering evidence-based treatments for substance use disorder in partnership with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. These studies are part of a growing body of research on cultural adaptations of substance use … » More …

“The reason I do what I do is because I’m interested in social justice. I want to help improve the world, even if it’s just a tiny bit.”

Read about Dr. Suchy-Dicey – how she came to be an epidemiologist, her advice to young women thinking about a career in STEM, and more – here, in an interview with Washington STEM.

If you want to make your community more dementia-friendly – whether you’re an individual with dementia, a caregiver, or somebody who works with people with dementia – please join us for “Collaborating for a Dementia-Friendly Washington: Expanding Possibilities,” a 2-day virtual conference, 9am-12pm, Tues/Wed, September 14-15.

The event will spotlight strategies, programs and initiatives to build a more dementia-friendly community, and will feature IREACH’s Dr. Ka’imi Sinclair, who will moderate a panel on Indigenous Perspectives on Dementia.

Dementia Friendly Communities 2021 is organized … » More …

We are excited to announce that NEAR (Natives Engaged in Alzheimer’s Research) – a new IREACH-led project battling disparities associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander groups – has received $14.6 million in funding from the National Institute on Aging.

Though highly diverse, Native and Pacific Islander populations all experience high rates of conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and low socioeconomic status that make dementia more likely. To test interventions to improve detection and treatment of dementia, the NEAR network will rely on 8 … » More …

Dr. Suchy-Dicey, Assistant Professor in WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, and Dr. Celestina Barbosa-Leiker of WSU’s College of Nursing have been awarded $1.7 million for a 3-year study exploring how cognitive function in Native Americans is impacted by psychological risk factors – disproportionately high levels of stress, trauma, depression, and substance use – but also by potentially protective factors such as community connectedness and improved health-related quality of life. The researchers will investigate the effect of these factors on cognitive performance by collecting psychological and cognitive data in partnership with the ongoing Strong … » More …

Applications are being accepted now for the Fall 2021 Tribal Communities Internship Program, hosted by IREACH in partnership with WSU’s Center for Native American Research and Collaboration. Full-time paid internships connecting student researchers with tribal communities & organizations, Native Nations, and ongoing health research projects are open to eligible undergrads, grad students & postdocs across the US. Awards range from $5-10K. Click here for more details. Submit applications here.

A research assistant professor in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Dr. Nikolaus studies the relationship between food security and health.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, about 1 in 9 households in the US experience food insecurity, which can lead to poor physical and mental health, including increased risk of depression, diabetes, and obesity.

Click here to read an in-depth interview with Dr. Nikolaus and to learn more about how her personal experiences with food insecurity underlie her goal to … » More …

The AMA announced that Dr. Dedra Buchwald, M.D., is one of 18 prominent doctors and scientists selected to identify a new editor in chief for the renowned biomedical journal, JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

JAMA, which has been published continuously since 1883, is the most widely circulated general medical journal in the world. “JAMA is one of the world’s preeminent journals – steeped in data, research, and cutting-edge medical science – that helps drive … » More …

The Cultural Humility in Practice webinar with Dr. Gary Ferguson has been RESCHEDULED to Wednesday June 9th at 12 PM Pacific Time.

Please register using the link below. If you already registered for the original date, you do not need to re-register.

As we work to address health equity, many of us strive to be culturally competent. Framing our efforts through the lens of cultural humility enriches our mission to be as inclusive as possible. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines cultural humility as “a life-long process of self-reflection and self-critique whereby the individual not only learns about another’s culture, but one starts with … » More …

We are pleased to share our Call for Applications for the Native Center for Alcohol Research and Education (NCARE) Pilot Project Program. Letters of Intent will be due May 28th, 2021 to native.care@wsu.edu.

This Call for Applications is aimed at promoting innovative research projects that focus on reducing the burden of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in American Indian and Alaska Native communities (AI/AN) and that will subsequently lead to future external funding.

While preference will be given to junior investigators, mid-career and senior researchers who have not conducted alcohol intervention research in Native communities are eligible to apply.

Please refer to the NCARE <a ... » More …