Colorado School of Public Health News and Stories

The Executive Order on the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) issued by President Biden on October 30 is a directive that contains no fewer than 13 sections. But two words in the opening line strike at the challenge presented by AI: “promise” and “peril.”

As the document’s statement of purpose puts it, AI can help to make the world “more prosperous, productive, innovative, and secure” at the same that it increases the risk of “fraud, discrimination, bias, and disinformation,” and other threats.

Tyler Smith | November 30, 2023

Members of the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators visited the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health (CAIANH) in November to learn about the CAIANH’s work to better understand the health of Native peoples across the United States, to advance culturally oriented and community-driven solutions, and how this work has helped shape public policy.

Colorado School of Public Health | November 30, 2023

There are 574 “Tribal entities” recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. The members of these tribes live in most of the contiguous 48 states in the nation, from Washington to Florida and Maine to Arizona. The Bureau of Indian Affairs also recognizes the 228 tribes of Alaska Native people who live across Alaska’s yawning expanses, yet public health education that centers on investigating and addressing the needs of these diverse communities and cultures is still a “niche market,” says Jerreed Ivanich, PhD, assistant professor of community and behavioral health and in the Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health at the Colorado School of Public Health. But Ivanich is leading an effort to change that. He directs the Certificate in American Indian & Alaska Native Health program, an online offering that is directed toward helping students develop the skills necessary to meet the most important healthcare challenges for Native people.

Tyler Smith | September 05, 2023

Please read our latest issue of American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, journal of the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health.

Colorado School of Public Health | July 31, 2023

The Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Diabetes Translation Research (CAIANDTR) seeks to translate research of proven efficacy into clinical and community settings, with the goal of improving prevention and treatment of diabetes in Native populations. The CAIANDTR Pilot & Feasibility Program is pleased to announce the availability of funding to support research consistent with this mission.

The Pilot & Feasibility Program provides support for early-stage investigators (ESIs) committed to conducting translational research related to diabetes in American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian (AI/AN/NH) populations.

Colorado School of Public Health | June 27, 2023

The Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health are proud to publish the newest issue (Vol. 30, No. 1) of the journal, American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research.

Colorado School of Public Health | April 07, 2023

American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have traditional food and nutrition practices that support holistic health. However, these traditional practices have been interrupted by Western food systems, which has led to disproportionate rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among AI/AN communities. Nutrition education interventions are particularly effective when developed to meet the needs of specific communities and when they emphasize strengths-based, culturally relevant healthy dietary practices. A research brief  in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, shares the results of a successful culturally adapted, online diabetes nutrition education program for AI/ANs. The implications of the findings have guided program changes for improved diabetes nutrition education.

Colorado School of Public Health | February 13, 2023

"The problem is if we only focus on 'deaths of despair' (mid-life deaths), we ignore and do not have adequate attention paid to the sources that promote health and well-being in Native people," said Spero Manson, director of the Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health, to NPR.

NPR | February 01, 2023

The Centers are proud to announce the latest issue (Vol. 29, No. 3) of the journal, American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research.

Colorado School of Public Health | September 30, 2022

The Centers are proud to announce a new special issue (Vol. 29, No. 2) of the journal, American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research. This special issue focuses on adaptations made to research during the COVID-19 pandemic among researchers working in Native communities. The issue includes articles that highlight the efforts of researchers to continue their important work despite the many challenges of lockdowns, social distancing, adoption of new technologies, and IRB protocol and research design changes. An emphasis on the resiliency of the communities where this research took place is apparent in all articles. Articles detail successes, challenges, lessons learned, and directions for future work.

Colorado School of Public Health | July 27, 2022

American Indians and Alaska Natives faced similar population-level health challenges, noted Michelle Sarche, associate professor in the Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health and Department of Community & Behavioral Health, saying many tribal communities face underlying health challenges.

CPR | June 25, 2022

Research has shown that in years past, stigma around mental health in Native communities was second only to HIV, said Spero Manson, director of the Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health.

Bloomberg Law | June 13, 2022

CAIANH is pleased to announce a new issue of the journal, American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research. The latest issue explores many issues related to American Indian and Alaska Native peoples, utilizing a variety of methodologies and capturing important perspectives from Native peoples and researchers.

Colorado School of Public Health | March 06, 2022

Urban dwelling American Indian and Alaska Native older adults face multiple layers of challenges related to social determinants of health that present barriers to healthy eating. However, the social and cultural value placed on sharing and supporting one another within these communities can help improve healthy food access for older adults, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier.

Colorado School of Public Health | February 02, 2022

Talia Quandelacy, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, uses her expertise to help raise awareness of inequities that affect health in urban areas and reservation communities.

Tufts Now | November 12, 2021

The Centers are proud to announce a new issue of American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research. The latest issue of the journal explores many issues related to American Indian and Alaska Native peoples, utilizing a variety of methodologies and capturing important perspectives from Native peoples and researchers. In this issue:

Yale School of Medicine | September 28, 2021

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has named Spero M. Manson as the recipient of the 2021 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health for his 43-year career dedicated to improving the mental health of American Indians and Alaska Natives — and bringing a culturally informed lens to the assessment, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of mental health conditions. The award, which recognizes Manson’s achievements with a medal and $20,000, will be presented at the NAM’s virtual annual meeting on October 17, 2021. Manson, Pembina Chippewa, is a distinguished professor of public health and psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and The Colorado Trust Chair in American Indian Health at the Colorado School of Public Health.

Colorado School of Public Health | September 15, 2021

American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research is calling for article submissions for a special issue of the journal focusing on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AI/AN health research.
 
Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged numerous tribal nations, resulting in lock downs, closing of schools and key services, stressors on health care systems, and overwhelming grief from the loss of relatives and cultural knowledge keepers. While the importance of research has been underscored during this time, community-based studies with AI/AN populations have faced particular challenges. Research teams have had to adapt to the changing dynamics, including modifying study designs, data collection procedures, participant engagement efforts, and analytic strategies.
 
This special issue of the journal will allow investigators to explicitly describe how and what adaptations were made, explain solutions to dealing with these unique challenges, and document lessons learned.
 
Who Should Submit?
We welcome submissions from reservation-, rural-, and urban-based AI/AN health research projects that include data on the effects of the pandemic on recruitment, retention, and data completeness. We also encourage submissions from funders and others in the research enterprise (e.g., IRBs) who may be interested in sharing procedural or administrative insights gleaned from supporting AI/AN research during this time.
 
How to Submit?
Follow the journal’s general guidelines for submission, which can be found on the journal’s website. Please include in your cover letter your intention that the article be considered for the special issue.
 
Submission Deadline
Because of the timeliness of this topic, we request all submissions by August 20, 2021, 5pm EST. DEADLINE EXTENDED. New deadline: October 22, 2021, 5pm EST.

Questions?
Contact Journal Manager Sara Mumby.

Colorado School of Public Health | April 22, 2021

The Centers are proud to announce a new issue of American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research. This issue predominantly features articles concerned with American Indian and Alaska Native youth and young adults. Articles explore topics pertinent to this population, including: 

Colorado School of Public Health | April 11, 2021

American Indian adults have a diabetes prevalence of 15%, the highest of any racial or ethnic group. Their likelihood of dying from diabetes complications is more than 50% over that of their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Health-related quality of life is a measurement of health that encompasses physical, psychological, and social aspects of health and it has been to shown to be negatively impacted by type 2 Diabetes. A recent systemic review showed that the presence of complications, hypertension, depression, and type of diet were associated with worse health-related quality of life, however, American Indians were not included in this analysis. A new study explores the relationship between psychosocial factors and health-related quality of life for American Indians by describing functional social support, emotional support, coping, resilience, post-traumatic stress disorder, and health-related quality of life. It also investigates the association between psychosocial factors and health-related quality of life among American Indians living with diabetes.

Colorado School of Public Health | April 10, 2021

Returning from a fly-fishing trip to Bristol Bay, Alaska, last July, Dr. Spero Manson stood at a baggage claim carousel at Denver International Airport. His phone rang. The caller, Dr. Jonathan Samet, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, had good news. Manson was the recipient of a prestigious award for his work in health education.

Tyler Smith | April 08, 2021

Dr. Nancy Whitesell is one of the affiliated faculty members for PMHW. She sat down with us to share more about her work and the communities that she works with. Here's what she had to say. 

Colorado School of Public Health | January 05, 2021

Dr. Evan White (Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma), a current NCRE Scholar (Cohort 8), has been awarded a National Institutes of Health K99/R00 award. The award, entitled “Neuroscientific Exploration of Cultural Protective Factors among American Indians,” was funded by the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities. The proposed research and training plan will support Dr. White’s goal of becoming a clinical, cultural neuroscientist focused on identifying novel targets for culturally specific preventions and interventions to reduce mental health disparities in American Indian populations. Dr. White is currently an associate investigator at Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR) in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Colorado School of Public Health | January 03, 2021

The Centers are proud of the latest issue of American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research. The authors come from institutions across the country to share research on a diverse range of topics related to AI/AN health across the lifespan, including: 

Colorado School of Public Health | November 30, 2020

Two former NCRE Scholars are being honored this month for service to their communities. Alicia Mousseau, PhD (NCRE Scholars Cohort 1), was elected Oglala Sioux Tribe Vice President in the November elections, and Ashleigh Coser, PhD (NCRE Scholars Cohort 3), was named one of the 2020 award recipients of the “Native American 40 under 40.”

Colorado School of Public Health | November 16, 2020

The Native Children’s Research Exchange (NCRE) was awarded funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to host its national conference in 2021 and 2023. NCRE conferences provide a forum for researchers, evaluators, and tribal program and community partners to gather to share in an open exchange of information. Beginning in 2008, NCRE conferences help fulfill NCRE’s mission to bring together researchers who study child and adolescent development in Indigenous communities – primarily American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian.

The NIDA funding is an R13 Conference Grant awarded to NCRE Co-Directors, Drs. Michelle Sarche and Nancy Whitesell. These researchers co-founded NCRE and believe the funding will contribute to the longevity of the network they’ve created over the past decade. 

Participants in the 2019 NCRE Conference had this to say:

(NCRE is a) Great chance to meet people from all over America who are passionate about the health and wellbeing of our children - the atmosphere created was very supportive and encouraging, especially for students. It was great to have academics as well as community leaders all in the same room together, and it never felt as though one was "better" than the other but instead it was a joint effort.

I loved all the opportunities we had to interact with one another as conference attendees. I met a lot of wonderful and inspiring people who I hope to collaborate with in the future.

It is more than a conference; it is a "Happening."

I found the connections that I made with my peers was the most beneficial part of this conference. Our in-depth conversations about the conference brought new light into my work.

NCRE draws participants from around the country who gather to share ideas about their work and share in their commitment to Native children’s development. Student scholars are encouraged to participate through NCRE Scholars and STARS, a mentoring program for early career investigators and graduate students. Community-based research partners are also encouraged to attend.

NCRE conferences are generally held in September in the Denver area; dates for a virtual conference in 2021 will be announced later this fall. If you’d like to receive Information about the 2021 conference, join the NCRE listserv by contacting Caitlin Howley.

The NIDA R13 grant will also support a smaller Special Emphasis meeting in 2022, which will invite leading researchers and community partners to come together to plan for co-authored publications on the state of the science and pose critical questions for future investigation.

Colorado School of Public Health | September 01, 2020

The NIMHD Center of Excellence in American Indian and Alaska Native Health Disparities Alzheimer’s Disease/Related Dementias (ADRD) and Precision Medicine (PM) provides funding to support pilot and feasibility projects related to ADRD and/or PM research in Native populations.

We are seeking to provide funding for Early Stage Investigators to support secondary analyses that can answer important questions related to ADRD and/or PM research in Native communities. The Center looks to fund innovative Pilot Studies with meaningful implications for personalizing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

We are excited to fund our next round of pilot project awards and encourage you to share this opportunity with your networks.

Learn how to apply from the Investigator Development Pilot Study announcement.

Colorado School of Public Health | July 21, 2020

The Native Children's Research Exchange Scholars Program provides career development support to early career investigators and late-stage graduate students interested in pursuing research on substance use and disorder and Native child and adolescent development. We are now recruiting four Scholars to join Cohort 9 (2020-2021), which will launch in September 2020. Early career investigators, including junior faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and late-stage doctoral students in psychology, sociology, public health, anthropology, education, or related disciplines are eligible to apply.

The NCRE Scholars Program is now accepting applications, and the deadline to submit is August 31, 2020 at 5pm MDT.

Colorado School of Public Health | July 21, 2020

Wearing a mask or face covering in the US has become about more than just slowing the spread of COVID-19 — some experts say it's a political statement, signalling another layer in the deep divisions within America.

ABC News | June 30, 2020

ColoradoSPH Distinguished Professor and Director of the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health Spero Manson, PhD, was awarded the 2019 Carl Taube Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Field of Mental Health. Manson gave a lecture at the 2019 APHA conference in Philadelphia entitled “A Professional and Personal Journey: Exploring the Cultural Landscape of Mental Health Services”.

Colorado School of Public Health | November 12, 2019

After decades of pioneering work proving the efficacy of telehealth services for remote American Indian and Alaska Native communities, Spero Manson, PhD, can paint any number of illustrations to make a point about reaching those in need.  

Michael Booth | December 14, 2018