This video showcases the winners of the I Strengthen My Nation Challenge Competition from NIDA and We R Native. This competition involved Native youth between the ages of 14-25 using art or community projects to share their ideas about Indigenous resilience to substance misuse.
Environmental Factor highlights the work of NIEHS-funded researchers to examine the harmful effects that burning plastic waste can have on human health and the environment. This includes a solid waste disposal project from the Center for Native Environmental Health Equity Research, Navajo Nation, Crow Nation, and the Cheyenne River Sioux.
Dr. David Wilson, the director of THRO, wrote a post for NIH’s Science, Health, and Public Trust blog about the importance of understanding history of the Tribes in U.S. to better communicate with and about Native communities.
In a Q&A with THRO, Leah Nez discusses her background, experience as a post baccalaureate fellow with NIH, her path to studying bioethics, and advice for other Native students interested in science research and health.
The IMPROVE (Implementing a Maternal health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone) supports research dedicated to reducing preventable causes of maternal death and improving the health of women before, during, and after their delivery. NIH requests input including how to encourage applications from American Indian and Alaska Native researchers interested in proposing a Native-focused center.
An NIH article highlights NIMH-funded research that will study the effectiveness of a new mobile app designed to help people who have experienced worse anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will focus on communities who have been significantly affected by the pandemic, including American Indian, Alaska Native, Black, and Latinx populations.
An NIH-funded study examined trends in life expectancy by county. The study found that while the overall life expectancy in the U.S. increased by 2.3 years, the increase was not consistent among racial and ethnic populations, including AI/AN populations which had the lowest life expectancy of all the counties.
This newsletter provides THRO-curated Tribal health research and funding news from across NIH.
The next NIH strategic plan for Tribal health research will build upon the existing plan to improve the agency’s relationship and collaborative efforts with Native communities and aims to address health research needs. Tribal Consultation will occur during the HHS regional consultations.
A NIDA study found there were significant reductions in cigarette use between the years 2006 and 2019 from people with major depression and/or substance abuse disorder, but the rates for non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native people did not decline. This highlights the need for more prevention and treatment efforts for these communities.