The state of Texas provides an excellent window on the many significant issues of health disparities that exist within the United States. Texas Hispanics and African Americans have a 2.5-fold higher death rate from diabetes than non-Hispanic whites, nearly 2-fold higher death rate from cardiovascular diseases, and nearly 2-fold greater death rate from Cancer. Importantly, the underrepresented minority (URM) population in Texas has surpassed the non-Hispanic population in 2004, and the minority population is projected to continue to increase for the foreseeable future, thus, the minority differentiation (in numbers) will slowly diminish in the next decades.. TCHD focuses on research on health disparity areas that exist in Texas minorities such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, stroke and HIV. Therefore a call for applications for pilot projects to be funded through the TCHD was sent out early November, 2006. The first round of funded projects began at the beginning of March 2006. You can find out more information on these pilot projects by clicking on the Pilot Project tab above.

Contact:

Dr. Michael Smith , Director of Research Core