Dr. Becker's message
The ‘behind the scenes of NARCH’ story is the focus of some of this newsletter, and it will become clear to you that without the vision and persistent efforts of Drs. Clif Poodry and Bill Freeman that nothing would have likely happened to develop this program. It is unique in that is a federal research and training program that it is focused solidly on improving the health of tribal people. I was honored when Clif and Bill invited me to a planning session in California about two years before the initial launch of the program. My job was to represent academia and the research side of the NARCH equation. I was one of several participants, including Nat Cobb, Tricia Baglio, and others from primarily western universities. Tribal community members also had a strong voice in the meeting. The enthusiasm for the planning program was very high on the parts of all who attended. Fast forward 25 years, and we have seen the fruits of the labor of 20+ different NARCH programs, mostly in western states, but with major players at Hopkins and other locations typically considered outside of Indian country. In our own NW NARCH, we have addressed both research and training/skill building, often involving a large proportion of our Indian Health Board staff and investigators. I am pleased to see our progress, particularly in the training arena. Our fellowship programs and Summer Research Training Institute have included over 1000 tribal trainees, and a large proportion of those American Indian and Alaska Native students who have graduated with PhD or Masters degrees in biomedical sciences in the last decade have been part of our program—in one way or another. We are proud of their achievements. We are not finished with NARCH! Far from it. We have an asthma management program to finish up, two cancer control fellowship programs to nurture, a revised Summer Institute, and three administrative cores to run. We have two pending grants to help high school, undergraduate, and graduate students more fully engage in the sciences and orient toward careers in the fields. We appreciate the role that you have played in our program, and that of our advisors, NIH project officials, and of course, of the guidance provided by Dr. Poodry and Dr. Freeman along the way. They must be very proud of the accomplishments of the national NARCH efforts.
NPAIHB www.npaihb.org
NW NARCH
Fall/ Winter | 2021
WHAT'S NEW? The Summer Institute is back! Save the dates: June 13-June 30, 2022. New fellowship and internship opportunities available. Visit our website for more information.
NEWS
Fall/Winter | 2021
Tribal Researchers’ Cancer Control Fellowship Program: From Training to Implementation by: Ashley Thomas, MPH In addition to our usual activities over the last year and a half—formal training, distance learning assignments, and mentorship, we offered the Cancer Control & Prevention trainees an opportunity to conduct their own research with project implementation awards of $30,000. Trainees submitted research proposals, including budgets, letters of support, and project summaries, for review. We awarded four projects in 2020 and six projects in 2021. In September, we hosted a summer seminar where our first group of award recipients shared their research findings and lessons learned with their fellow TRCCFP colleagues. Below is a list of project topics with links to view each short presentation. Enjoy! Jonathan Credo (Navajo) presented the Effects of perchlorate contamination on thyroid angiogenesis in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). He sought to understand of the ability of perchlorate to lead to angiogenesis surrounding thyroid follicles. https://vimeo.com/617241840 Lindsey Manshack (Choctaw Apache Tribe of Ebarb, Zwolle, Louisiana) conducted a cross-sectional study titled Indigenous Voices of Missouri: Cancer Control Experiences. Lindsey was able to highlight the cancer experiences of AI/AN individuals living in Missouri. https://vimeo.com/617237667 Dornell Pete (Navajo) used her funding for her dissertation research project - ABID (Assessing the gut microBiota and Individual Diet in the Navajo) Study. The goal of her study was to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection and cagA genotype. https://vimeo.com/618081651 Delilah Robb (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians) surveyed 192 AI/AN men about their knowledge, attitudes, and cultural beliefs about human papillomavirus. https://vimeo.com/617239809
FELLOWS IN FOCUS
NW NARCH Fellows have authored a number of manuscripts this past year. Here are a few:
Bitsie, K. R., Cheng, T. Y. D., McCann, S. E., Zirpoli, G., Yao, S., Bandera, E. V., ... & Ambrosone, C. B. (2021). Dietary Vitamin A and Breast Cancer Risk in Black Women: The African American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk (AMBER) Consortium. The Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab278 Blacksher, E., Hiratsuka, V. Y., Blanchard, J. W., Lund, J. R., Reedy, J., Beans, J. A., ... & Spicer, P. G. (2021). Deliberations with American Indian and Alaska Native People about the Ethics of Genomics: An Adapted Model of Deliberation Used with Three Tribal Communities in the United States. AJOB Empirical Bioethics, 1-15. DOI:10.1080/23294515.2021.1925775 Chambers, R. A., Patel, H., Richards, J., Begay, J., Littlepage, S., Begay, M., ... & Tingey, L. (2021). Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of Asdzáán Be'eená: an intergenerational, strength-based, and culturally grounded program to improve the health of Navajo families. Fam Community Health. 2021 Oct-Dec 01;44(4):266-281. DOI: 10.1097/FCH.0000000000000302. PubMed PMID: 34145194. Chambers, R. A., Begay, J., Patel, H., Richards, J., Nelson, D., Rosenstock, S., ... & Tingey, L. (2021). Rigorous evaluation of a substance use and teen pregnancy prevention program for American Indian girls and their female caregivers: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health,21(1), 1-12. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11131-x. PubMed PMID: 34154552; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8218410. Ducharme-Smith, K., Chambers, R., Garcia-Larsen, V., Larzelere, F., Kenney, A., Reid, R., Nelson, L., Richards, J., Begay, M., Barlow, A., & Rosenstock, S. (2021). Native Youth Participating in the Together on Diabetes 12-Month Home-Visiting Program Reported Improvements in Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 Diet Quality Domains Likely to Be Associated With Blood Pressure and Glycemic Control. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,121(6), 1125-1135. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2020.12.017. Epub 2021 Feb 3. PubMed PMID: 33547030. Fort, M. P., Steiner, J. F., Santos, C., Moore, K. R., de los Angeles Villaverde, M., Nease Jr, D. E., ... & Manson, S. M. (2020). Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies for Engaging Family in Diabetes and Hypertension Management: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved,31(2), 827-844. Hedman, H. D., Zhang, L., Butt, B., Papias, P., Trostle, J. A., & Eisenberg, J. N. (2021). “Chicken dumping”: Motivations and perceptions in shifting poultry production practices. One Health,13, 100296. Hedman HD, Krawczyk E, Hemy YA, Zhang L, Varga C. (2021). Host diversity and potential transmission pathways of SARS-CoV-2 at the human-animal interface. Pathogens.10, 180. Hedman HD, Chunga SC, Eifler DA, Hanghome GP, Eifler MA. (2021). Microhabitat use of two sympatric geckos, Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko (Chondrodactylus turneri) and the Common Namib Day Gecko (Rhoptropus afer). Journal of Arid Environments.188, 104448. Hadley ME, Day G, Beans JA, Groen RS. Postpartum hemorrhage: Moving from response to prevention for Alaska Native mothers. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2021 Nov;155(2):290-295. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.13883. Epub 2021 Aug 30. PubMed PMID: 34403505. Patel, H., Chambers, R., Littlepage, S., Rosenstock, S., Richards, J., Lee, A., ... & Tingey, L. (2021). The association of parental monitoring and parental communication with sexual and substance use risk behaviors among Native American Youth. Children and Youth Services Review,129, 106171. Richards, J., Chambers, R. S., Begay, J. L., Jackson, K., Tingey, L., Patel, H., ... & Barlow, A. (2021). Diné (Navajo) female perspectives on mother–daughter communication and cultural assets around the transition to womanhood: a cross-sectional survey. BMC women's health,21(1), 1-11. Saunkeah, B., Beans, J. A., Peercy, M. T., Hiratsuka, V. Y., & Spicer, P. (2020). Extending Research Protections to Tribal Communities. The American Journal of Bioethics, 1-13. DOI:10.1080/15265161.2020.1865477 Schaefer, K. R., Avey, J. P., Todd, M. R., Beans, J. A., Dillard, D. A., Shireman, L. M., ... & Claw, K. G. (2021). Nicotine metabolism and its association with CYP2A6 genotype among Indigenous people in Alaska who smoke. Clinical and Translational Science. Teufel-Shone, N. I., Chief, C., Richards, J. R., Clausen, R. J., Yazzie, A., Begay, M. A., ... & Chief, K. (2021). Development of a Culturally Anchored Qualitative Approach to Conduct and Analyze Focus Group Narratives Collected in Diné (Navajo) Communities to Understand the Impacts of the Gold King Mine Spill of 2015. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,18(17), 9402. Thompson, K., Manshack, L., & Van Schuyver, J. (2021). The Significance of Indigenous Field Education: an Analysis of the Social Workers Advancing Through Grounded Education Program. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 1-12.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
In this video, Dr. Poodry shares his personal career journey and what led to the development of the NARCH program. He also reveals some personal details that may surprise you!
HISTORY OF NARCH
Q&A with Dr. Poodry
by: Grazia Cunningham, MPH In this "All About NARCH" issue, I interviewed Dr. Clifton Poodry and Dr. Bill Freeman, founders of the national NARCH program. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed interviewing these two legends.
In addition to a successful career in research, Dr. Poodry, PhD, taught at the University of California, Santa Cruz and later became the Director of the Minority Opportunities in Research Division at NIGMS. He currently serves as Co-PI of the Summer Institute program.
Q&A with Dr. Freeman
William Freeman, MD, MPH, MJIL, CIP currently serves as the Program Director and Center for Health & Human Protections Administrator at the NW Indian College Review Board.
Hear more stories from behind-the-scenes of the NARCH program, as well as Dr. Freeman's hopes for the future of NARCH and his advice for NARCH fellows.
The crinkle of the newspaper as my grandfather starts the morning fire in the woodstove. The smell of early morning coffee brewing and juniper from the boots sitting haphazardly by the door. Sitting at the table with my grandmother watching her bead and learning how to crochet. When I need a moment of peace, tranquility and rejuvenation in this world, I close my eyes and these are the memories that refresh my soul. Working in cancer, in public health, and in any capacity that supports our communities is extremely rewarding and often extremely taxing. Sometimes it feels like sitting within a maelstrom of intersecting storms: not enough funding, systemic racism, disparities, health inequities, etc. These are the moments I feel adrift and I reach out for an anchor. For me, that anchor is my family. And when I cannot see them, I do all those things that remind me of them: beading, cooking and crochet. In the Northwest, many of our tribes’ host giveaways for name-giving ceremonies, funerals, weddings, any gathering or celebration. My grandma always has a stockpile of giveaway items. One common item many Northwest river tribes use are yarn belts. These are worn with wing dresses for different ceremonies. So, in my free time, one thing I love to do is crochet yarn belts to slowly build my stock pile of items for giveaways. And also, to connect with those memories that bring me peace and help me feel connected to those who give me strength. The field in which we work is difficult already and the time in which we now find ourselves brings so many new challenges. I hope that you can find that which is your anchor and I hope that you can take the time to sit, and breathe and nurture the thing that brings you peace and strength.
Examples of Rosa's crafts
CRAFTING CORNER by Rosamaria Frutos, MSW NW NARCH Cancer Fellow Ca
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
NCI Division of Extramural Activities - FOAs NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Outstanding Early Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00 The NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00) NIH Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award (K01) Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health - American Indian Graduate Scholars Program American Cancer Society Tribal Researchers' Cancer Control Fellowship Program NW NARCH Research Fellowship NW NARCH Internship Program
NATIONAL NARCH
Interested in learning about what other NARCH programs across the country are doing? Visit the NARCH Interactive Portfolio Dashboard to find out! NARCH Fellow, Hayden Hedman, published three papers in 2021: Hedman HD, Zhang L, Butt B, Papias P, Trostle JA, Eisenberg JNS. (2021). “Chicken dumping”: Motivations and perceptions in shifting poultry production practices.One Health. Hedman HD, Krawczyk E, Hemy YA, Zhang L, Varga C. (2021). Host diversity and potential transmission pathways of SARS-CoV-2 at the human-animal interface. Pathogens.10, 180. Hedman HD,Chunga SC, Eifler DA, Hanghome GP, Eifler MA. (2021). Microhabitat use of two sympatric geckos, Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko
CONTACT US! Ashley Thomas, MPH NW NARCH Senior Program Manager athomas@npaihb.org
Sponsored by NIGMS under Award Numbers 1S06GM141002, 5S06GM127164, & 5S06GM123543| Native American Research Centers for Health | Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.