The Geisel School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (DICE) has been awarded a one-year grant to support the Alliance for Scholarship, Collaboration, Engagement, Networking, and Development (ASCEND), from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, a pioneer in scientific breakthroughs dedicated to improving people’s lives.
ASCEND seeks to strengthen partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) to increase representation of medical students from the global majority—people of African, Asian, Indigenous, Latin American, or mixed-heritage backgrounds—and amplify their contributions through research collaborations.
Funding will be used to foster faculty and student interdisciplinary collaborations between Geisel and three external partners: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in Caguas, Puerto Rico, an HSI, and two new HBCU medical schools opening next year at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD.
Focusing on population sciences research that addresses cancer risk, screening, and early detection, cancer diagnosis and treatment, and palliative care/survivorship for those with cancer, researchers will receive a stipend, a travel allowance, publication presentation funding, and other research-related expenses.
Over time, these collaborations will increase the number of primary care doctors and public health researchers focused on breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers and diabetes diagnoses in distressed communities.
Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Lisa McBride, PhD, says, “The ASCEND program represents Geisel’s long-term commitment to accelerating groundbreaking cancer
research and pioneering lifesaving discoveries. Faculty and student fellows from Geisel and our partnering institutions will tackle the biggest challenges in biomedical and oncology research.”
In tandem with these academic institutions, Geisel seeks to improve population health and strengthen the medical school’s role as a hub for impactful healthcare innovation.
Genentech supports grants to advance excellence in medicine and healthcare and improve patient health outcomes by enhancing the knowledge of the medical community.
About the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Founded in 1797, the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth strives to improve the lives of the communities it serves through excellence in learning, discovery, and healing. The Geisel School of Medicine is renowned for its leadership in medical education, healthcare policy and delivery science, biomedical research, global health, and in creating innovations that improve lives worldwide. As one of America’s leading medical schools, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine is committed to training new generations of diverse leaders who will help solve our most vexing challenges in healthcare.