Community Engaged Research to Promote Health Equity (CERPHE) Pilot Grant Awards

Previous Name: Research on the Structural Racism, Social Injustice and Health Disparities in Maternal and Child Health Pilot Awards

"My team and I are fortunate to be among the first round of recipients of MCHRI’s new health disparities grants program. This funding has facilitated the development of a new partnership with the Food Equality Initiative—a community-based organization that has been working to improve health and end hunger in individuals diagnosed with food allergies by providing food as medicine. Thanks to MCHRI, our center can provide vital food assistance to dozens of local families, while systematically working with our partners to build an evidence base around novel interventions targeting social determinants of health."

R. Sharon Chinthrajah, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine); Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Immunology and Allergy)


FY 2024 Awards

Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH, MSHS
Professor, Pediatrics
Study Title: Strengthening Healthy Drinks, Healthy Futures: Engaging Key Stakeholders for Effective Childhood Health Interventions Through a Community-Engaged Approach

Irogue Igbinosa, MD
Instructor, Obstetrics and Gynecology (Maternal Fetal Medicine)
Study Title: Nourish: Health Equity Seminars in Nutrition for Pregnant People

Jelena Obradović, PhD
Professor, Developmental and Psychological Sciences
Study Title: Understanding the Youth Mental Health Impacts of Immigration-Related Stress, Trauma & Strengths: A Community-Driven Pilot Study

Safyer McKenzie-Sampson, MD
Instructor, Pediatrics (Neonatal and Development Medicine)
Study Title: Racism, Social Support, and Cultural Traditions During Pregnancy and Childbirth: A Community-Engaged Pilot Study Among African-Born Black Women in California

Shazeen Suleman, MD, MPH
Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Study Title: Improving Access to Healthcare for Migrant Youth Through Co-Design and Participatory Research Methods

Stephanie Smith, MD, MPH
Instructor, Pediatrics (Pediatric Hematology, oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine)
Study Title: A Community-Academic Partnership Dedicated to Optimizing Childhood Cancer Survivors' Health in a Rural, Low-Income Region

Tamar Green, MD
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences)
Study Title: Using a Community-Engaged Approach to Improve Access to Quality Care for Families Affected By Rare Disorders

"Learning language is a critical part of child development, and early language learning sets the stage for future academic achievement. But the tools we use for measuring early language haven't been validated with diverse families in the US, which can lead to problematic mis- or over-identification of children from diverse racial and ethnic groups as having speech and language issues. With support from MCHRI, the aim of our project is to begin this validation process so as to make the tools for measuring early language more equitable." 

Michael C. Frank, PhD
Associate Professor, Psychology 

FY 2023 Awards

Christina Buysse, MD
Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Study Title: Santa Cruz PRIMES: Promoting Resilience at the Intersection of community, legal, Medical and Educational Supports

Stephanie Chao, MD
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics - General Surgery
Study Title: Eliminating structural racism in child abuse reporting through standardized universal screening

Kay Daniels, MD
Clinical Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Study Title: Using a novel virtual simulation program to train OB providers in Mexico- a feasibility study

Peace Dike, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Pediatrics (Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition)
Study Title: A Novel Intervention to Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Pediatric Liver Transplantation

Kathleen Kan, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Urology - Pediatrics Urology
Study Title: A community-engaged approach to identify and improve barriers to pediatric bladder health care in Hispanic children

Danielle Mari Panelli, MD, MS
Instructor, Obstetrics & Gynecology
Study Title: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Pain After Cesarean Birth

Maya Rossin-Slater, PhD
Associate Professor, Health Policy
Study Title: The Effects of Access to Abortion Clinics on Disadvantaged Women's Health: Evidence from Medicaid Claims Data

Clea Sarnquist, MPH, DrPH
Associate Professor, Pediatrics - Infectious Diseases
Study Title: Reducing barriers for women of color to participate in campus sexual violence prevention programs: A mixed-methods approach