Page 8 - IMPACT - The World Needs What We Do Best

MSM Research Center and Institutes Integration
PILLAR 2: Innovation

Bioinformatics Clinical Infectious Disease
Morehouse School of Medicine is accelerating Research
breakthroughs in public health, scientific discovery, and Center

health care delivery. By investing in Morehouse School of Medicine
Prevention
through the Innovation pillar of our IMPACT campaign, you are investing Research Center Neuroscience Other MSM Centers and Institutes:
Institute
in transformative research to address some of the world’s most pressing • David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute
health disparities and conditions. MSM researchers and clinicians are Institute of • Natural Products Research Center
developing groundbreaking treatments and meeting community health Translational Genomic • Beacon of Hope Centers of Excellence
needs through hands-on care, digital innovation, and outreach solutions Medicine – Center of Excellence in Clinical Trials
– Center of Excellence in Environmental Justice
to address pervasive gaps in health experienced by so many.
K. Sean Kimbro, PhD Cancer Health Cardiovascular – Center of Excellence in Data Standards
Professor of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology Equity Institute Research Institute & Health Informatics
• Center for Translational Research in
IMPACT Campaign Innovation >2% Increasing diversity dismantles Health Disparities
Pillar Goals systemic and structural barriers to Center for
Maternal
• Expand cutting edge research in maternal MSM: Ensuring the optimal health. Health Policy Equity Community-based
health, cardiovascular/stroke, cancer, precision promise of precision To achieve this, we recognize the importance Participatory Research
medicine, and more medicine for all. of having comprehensive and inclusive
• Enhance community engagement and Health is not research data sets. Without complete and
one-size-fits-all. Yet
collaborative initiatives the National Institutes representative data, we cannot fully under-
• Increase health care services to underserved of Health (NIH) reports stand the complexities of health disparities Melissa B. Davis, PhD and global health equity, Dr. Davis is a Distin-
urban and rural communities that less than 2% of and develop effective solutions. Director, Institute of Translational guished Investigator with the Georgia Research
human genomes
• Create endowed roles in research, center, and analyzed to date are • We can’t change health outcomes if our Genomic Medicine Alliance. She also serves as Scientific Director
institute directorships and fellowships reflective of diverse research data set is incomplete or has gaps. “Minoritized populations have historically been of the International Center for the Study of
• Build state-of-the-art laboratories and populations. • We can’t be sure we are asking the right underrepresented in the generation, analysis, Breast Cancer Subtypes (ICSBCS).
equipment, including computational power for Precision medicine, research questions if the research workforce and application of genomic data and this has
genomic sequencing with treatments based is not representative of the populations who perpetuated health disparities. My goal is to Dr. Davis is an active mentor, hosting student
• Attract venture capital investors philanthropy on a patient’s personal experience the greatest health disparities. ensure that MSM is at the leading edge of the and faculty mentor training on health dispari-
genomic profile,
(natural products, new diagnostics, etc.) allows clinicians to • We can’t ensure clinical interventions technology and leadership of overcoming this ties for clinicians, and training undergraduate
predict and direct the improve health outcomes if all groups are not bias and improving the limitations of precision and graduate students. She is a scientific
prevention, care, and represented in clinical trials. medicine for underserved populations.” advocacy partner for minoritized patient popu-
disease management
necessary to improve lations, serving on several advisory boards for
individual and popula- Cancer geneticist Dr. Melissa Davis is the national organizations and industry partners as
tion health outcomes inaugural director of the MSM Institute of they establish global health equity and patient
more accurately. Translational Genomic Medicine. A leader in engagement platforms for emerging health
transformative research, patient advocacy, disparities initiatives.

8 9