CHER | Center for Health Equity Research

Building research capacity in underserved communities

Welcome to the Center for Health Equity Research (CHER) where our passionate team of researchers collaborate with communities to build foundations and environments that support health and wellbeing.

Naomi Lee and student review a collection sample.

Explore our research initiatives

CHER actively pinpoints underserved communities primed for health improvements, sparking a variety of impactful research initiatives. Through collaboration and innovative research, we’re transforming health outcomes for all.

Woman doing a strength test for her cancer checkup.

Native American health

Arizona is home to 22 of the over 500 federally recognized Tribes in the United States, each facing unique challenges. CHER is uniquely positioned to serve these communities through research efforts.

A panelist speaks at the Community Health Representatives Integration conference.

Community health advocacy

The community health workforce plays a crucial role in connecting social support and primary care. Through community outreach, wellness education, and disease management, they ensure effective, patient- and community-centered care coordination.

Maternal and child health

Mothers and children in underserved communities often face disparities that could be harmful for generations. Our research team takes a closer look at these disparities and the existing programs designed to alleviate them.

Person sitting on a rock in the forest holding a guitar behind their head.

Behavioral health

Uncover our behavioral health initiatives, where we drive culturally-centered addictions research, translational education, and music-based interventions, promoting positive change in underserved communities.

A guy standing in front of a game call "sex jeopardy."

HIV/AIDS and sexuality

HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects those in the LGBTQ community. Through research and collaboration, CHER is working to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic as well as research behavioral health amongst the LGBTQ community.

Native American man talking to students in the forest.

Aging

Our aging population requires specialized care and resources, especially in minority communities. Learn more about the Community Health and Aging in Native Groups of Elders (CHANGE) project as a Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) in collaboration with Washington State University.

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CHER news

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Emery Eaves and students discussing health equity research.

Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC) Empowering communities to drive health improvements where they matter most

Explore SHERC

Advancing discovery through innovative research

Nicky Teufel Shone at the Arizona Intertribal Cancer Health Equity Forum

A record-breaking year of research

“Structural racism—discrimination and marginalization experienced by Native Americans as an ethnic group—is an upstream factor that underlies cancer risk and risks to health overall,” Nicolette Teufel-Shone said.

NAU Review, April 2024

Julie Baldwin speaking at the NAU Health Design Summit in April 2024

NAU projected to receive highest level of research classification

Julie Baldwin, the executive director of the Center for Health Equity Research (CHER) and principal investigator for the Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC), and her team are responsible for bringing more than $60 million in federal funding to NAU.

NAU Review, Nov 2023

Students standing on the sidewalk at Dine College.

Community partnership highlight Diné College

Diné College is the first tribally controlled and accredited collegiate institution in the United States. Established in 1968 as Navajo Community College, it was later renamed Diné College. The Navajo Nation sought to create an institution of higher education that encouraged Navajo youth to become contributing members of the Navajo Nation and the world.

CHER has a standing partnership with Diné College building programs that foster young Native American scholars in their academic journeys. Through this collaboration, we have nurtured dozens of scholars on their paths to public health equity in their communities.

Developing future Diné public health leaders starts with early, culturally significant exposure

Successfully guiding Diné youth toward health and public health professions begins with two important ideas—start students in a program in high school and cultivate in them a love and understanding of their own cultural, strength-based assets.

Students in Dine College Bachelor of Science in Public Health

Summer public health program successfully prepares Diné students for public health careers

Twenty years ago, Diné College Professor Mark Bauer started a Summer Research Enhancement Program (SREP) to provide Diné students with a hands-on public health research experience in their own hometown communities across the Navajo Nation.

Since that time, Diné College has expanded the successful program, with Heather Dreifuss and Jamie Wilson from Northern Arizona University (NAU) and Carmella Kahn from Diné College joining the SREP team.

Explore health equity degrees and certificates

CHER offers a spectrum of pathways aimed at shaping the future of health professionals and researchers.

Master’s Degree

Center for Health Equity Research