Principal Investigator of Lab and Team: Lorraine R. Reitzel, PhD, FAAHB, FSRNT
Professor, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Our Work
"
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.
~ Steve Jobs ~
"
HEALTH-FAST Research Training Grant
Funded by a grant from NIDA, HEALTH-FAST stands for Helping Everyone Achieve a LifeTime of Health - Future Addiction Scientist Training program. The HEALTH-FAST Program is a targeted initiative to train talented doctoral scholars, postdoctoral fellows, and Early Stage Investigators who are currently under-represented in the sciences, with the ultimate goal of recruiting and retaining a more diverse alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) research workforce that can mitigate ATOD use and the chronic health conditions that result.
We begin recruitment summer 2021!
COVID-19 BREAST CANCER PROJECT
This project is focused on understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the cancer care
received by Caucasian, Latina, and Black breast cancer survivors to identify potentially modifiable factors to inform future models of care
delivery. This work was funded by the National Cancer Institute through an administrative supplement to the UHAND Program and is Directed by Dr. Chiara Acquati (University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work).
This project is open to new participants. Contact us if you have an interest in participation.
SYNERGY BREAST RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT
African-American breast cancer survivors are less likely to opt for reconstruction relative to White survivors. This project uses a mixed methods approach to better understanding the multi-level determinants of reconstruction decision making among African-American survivors. This work was funded through the Synergy internal grant mechanism (University of Houston/University of Houston-Downtown).
This project is closed to new participants.
TAKING TEXAS TOBACCO FREE
Tobacco use rates are elevated among individuals with mental and behavioral healthcare issues. This project assists healthcare agencies across Texas to implement a tobacco-free workplace program that includes education, screening, treatment, and outreach services.
This effort is ongoing and is funded by the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (PP130032; PP160081, PP170070, PP200051, PP210003; PP210026) and a contract with the Texas Department of State Health Services.
UHAND Program
The UHAND (University of Houston/MD Anderson) Program to Reduce Cancer Disparities seeks to understand and improve the health of African Americans and Hispanics in Houston and prepare a cadre of diverse scholars to enter the workforce with interdisciplinary training to address the social determinants of health. This work is funded by the National Cancer Institute through grants P20CA221696 and P20CA221697.
The UHAND project is no longer accepting trainees.
PROJECT ADVANCE I & II
Adults experiencing homelessness have higher rates of disease, shorter life expectancies, and disproportionately higher health care costs compared to adults with regular and stable housing. Project ADVANCE is focused on improving the health of individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Advance Projects have been funded through several combined funding sources across affiliated universities.
This project is closed to new participants.
STRESS AND HEALTH
African American adults bear a disproportionate burden of disease, injury, death, and disability. Project Stress and Health explores the intersection of stressors affecting African American adults, basal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis regulation, and health among volunteers from a local community church congregation. This work has been funded through multiple combined funding sources across affiliated universities.
This project is closed to new participants.
PROJECT FRESH AIR
Sexual minority individuals have a higher incidence of smoking than the general population. Project FRESH AIR examines the theory-based predictors of tobacco use (as well as other health behaviors, including diet and physical activity) among lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and other sexual minority adults. This work was funded by the University of Houston through discretionary funds.
This project is closed to new participants.
