The NIH Catalyst newsletter reports on the August 2023 annual Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting where elected Tribal officials exchanged views, gathered information, and advised how NIH programs could best address the health challenges facing their communities.
Dr. Karina Walters, the NIH Tribal Health Research Director, presented on surviving and thriving for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) cancer survivors. Dr. Walters highlights the cancer burden in the AI/AN population and discusses the challenges of screening, diagnosis, and treatment in the AI/AN population in the context of historical trauma and indigenous traditions and beliefs. [Video not available]
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) will host National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) speaker, Dr. Madhumita Sinha for her presentation, “Obesity and Metabolic Health in Indigenous American Children.” Join this virtual NIH event on Monday, November 6, 2023, from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. EST.
Dr. Karina Walters, director of the NIH Tribal Health Research Office presented “Watering the Seeds of AI/AN Ancestral Love and Wisdom to Create Healthful Families and Generations” as a featured speaker for the Administration for Native Americans (ANA), part of the Administration for Children and Families. After the presentation, Dr. Walters and ANA Commissioner Patrice Kunesh talked together about issues related to the health of Native children and families. [Video not available]
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) will host speaker, Dr. Tamana (Bunny) Begay from Indian Health Services (IHS) for her presentation, “A Personal Journey to Dentistry and the Importance of Mentorship.” Join this virtual NIH event on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST.
On November 8, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. EDT, NHLBI-funded Strong Heart Study (SHS) investigators, Dr. Jason Deen and Dr. Amanda M. Fretts, will be delivering a webinar for the American College of Cardiology (ACC) about cardiovascular disease among Indigenous Peoples and the social determinants of health that contribute to this issue. Learn more and register now.
A new research opportunity will support Tribes and Native American Serving Organizations (T/NASOs) to conduct locally prioritized research to address overdose, substance use, or pain, and related factors such as mental health and wellness. Part of the NIH HEAL Initiative®, the Native Collective Research Effort to Enhance Wellness (N CREW) Program is a highly collaborative partnership between NIH, T/NASOs, and Aly organizations. N CREW was established to directly respond to priorities identified in Tribal Consultations for addressing the drug overdose and addiction public health emergency. Application deadline: November 1, 2023.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) shared in the September 2023 issue of their Environmental Factor newsletter the approaches that NIH and NIEHS grantees are using to conduct research on the intersection of exposure, climate change, and health impacts on rural Alaska Native communities.
In August, NIH welcomed Tribal leaders to the annual NIH Tribal Advisory Committee Meeting. The two-day meeting included panels with NIH-funded Native investigators, discussions with NIH leadership, and a tour of the NIH Clinical Center. Learn more in The NIH Record.
NIH’s All of Us Research Program announced three awards totaling $1.5 million to institutions partnering with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Indigenous communities to advance health equity and precision medicine. The awards will support outreach and engagement with Tribal and Indigenous communities, strengthen the research infrastructure supporting AI/AN researchers, and broaden the base of researchers conducting cultural and ethical research with Tribal communities.