UAMS Researcher Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman Receives $4.2 Million Grant from National Cancer Institute
| LITTLE ROCK – The Cancer Control Program of the Arkansas Cancer Research Center (ACRC) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has been awarded $4.2 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to continue reducing cancer health disparities in minority and poor populations. The NCI, part of the National Institutes of Health, announced the award May 6 as part of $95 million in grants to 25 institutions to be used over five years – one of the largest community-based study efforts of its kind. “Cancer has a devastating effect on the health of Arkansans and unfortunately, many people in our rural communities are not familiar with steps they can take to prevent cancer or detect it at an early stage, said Ronda Henry-Tillman, M.D., director of the ACRC Cancer Control Outreach Program, which received the award, and associate professor of surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine. “This grant will be instrumental in developing research and training interventions through community-based participatory research, addressing the critical disconnect from discovery to delivery,” Henry-Tillman said. “We have high hopes of narrowing the disparity gap in early cancer detection and prevention for people in rural Henry-Tillman is principal investigator for the grant. Co-investigators are: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in “This grant is a huge boost to UAMS’ efforts to prevent cancer in “Obviously, we are committed to research to treat cancer, but many cancers can be prevented with changes in lifestyle or through screening. The ACRC Cancer Control Outreach Program has been instrumental in increasing awareness of cancer prevention in This new NCI initiative, called the Community Networks Program (CNP), builds on advances of a previous Special Populations Networks program and aims to reduce cancer disparities — the unequal burden of cancer experienced by various population groups — through community participation in education, research and training. Interventions will include cancer prevention activities such as proven approaches for quitting smoking, increasing healthy eating and physical activity, and early detection and treatment of breast, cervical and colorectal cancers. Programs will be designed to reach major racial/ethnic minority and underserved populations. Each CNP will put together a community advisory group that will serve as the “voice of the community” to seek information from the community and deliver results back to communities. A steering committee of community-based leaders, researchers, clinicians and public health professionals will provide additional support. To sustain successful efforts in each community over time, CNP grantees will also work closely with policy-makers and nongovernmental funding sources. Together, CNP grantees and NCI will train minority investigators, identify potential research opportunities, and ensure that valuable research findings are disseminated broadly. UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, five centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has more than 2,200 students and 660 residents and is the state’s largest public employer with almost 9,000 employees. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in UAMS centers of excellence are the