Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities Program (GMaP)
The Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities Program (GMaP), initiated in 2009, is a national program designed to enhance capacity in the areas of disparities research; recruitment and career/professional development of underrepresented investigators, trainees, and students; communication and dissemination; and evaluation, as part of building region-based “hubs” for the support and efficient management of cancer health disparities (CHD) research, training, and outreach.
The regional GMaP hubs are unique in that each brings together CHD investigators, underrepresented trainees and students, community health educators, and community members to work together to:
- Share information, resources, and tools;
- Enhance access to underrepresented investigators, trainees/students and foster career development linkages; and
- Strengthen region-based community education and outreach efforts that contribute to achieving GMaP goals.
Access and engagement of underserved communities will be facilitated by close linkage of the GMaP hubs with Community Health Educators (CHEs), who are currently part of the NCI/CRCHD supported National Outreach Network (NON).
Goals and Objectives
The goals of the GMaP initiative are to contribute to the science of CHD and promote the development of the next generation of competitive, underrepresented cancer and CHD investigators.
Consistent with these goals, GMaP seeks to achieve the following objectives:
- Create opportunities for scientific exchange, cooperation, and collaboration among cancer and CHD researchers.
- Attract underrepresented students, trainees, scholars, and investigators to the biomedical cancer enterprise.
- Enhance access of underrepresented students, trainees, and scholars to career development and mentoring opportunities.
- Increase cancer information dissemination and best practice sharing among researchers, trainees, and scholars.
- Build strong relationships with NON CHEs.
Quick Facts
- Seven administrative supplements were awarded to six regions in FY2015 to support existing efforts aimed at the efficient management of CHD research, diversity training, and community education and outreach.
- The GMaP regions bring together researchers, trainees and students, new and early-stage investigators, and community members so they can collectively identify and prioritize region-specific cancer research, training, education and outreach, and faculty development issues.
- GMaP leverages the strengths of its people, programs, and resources to provide greater access to cancer information in health disparity communities and to increase research participation and tissue collection in disparate populations.
GMaP Regions
Region 1 North
The Region 1 North hub is based at the Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, Kentucky. This region serves Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, DC. Visit the Region 1 North website to learn more.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Principal Investigator | B. Mark Evers – University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky |
| Co-Investigator | James R. Hébert – University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC |
| Co-Investigator | Nathan Vanderford – University of Kentucky |
| Project Director | Mark Dignan – University of Kentucky |
| Regional Coordinating Directors |
Mark Cromo – University of Kentucky Marcela Blinka – Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD Julia Houston – University of South Carolina |
Region 1 South
The Region 1 South hub is based at the Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, South Carolina. Region 1 South serves North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Visit the Region 1 South website to learn more.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Principal Investigator | Anthony J. Alberg – Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina |
| Project Director | Chanita Hughes-Halbert – Medical University of South Carolina |
| Project Director | Stephanie Wheeler – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Regional Coordinating Directors |
LaShanta J. Rice – Medical University of South Carolina Anissa I. Vines – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Region 2
Region 2’s hub and regional leadership listed below are based at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. Region 2 serves Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Puerto Rico. Visit the Region 2 website to learn more.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Principal Investigator | Thomas A. Sellers |
| Co-Investigator | Teresita Muñoz-Antonia |
| Co-Project Director | Clement K. Gwede |
| Co-Project Director | Cathy D. Meade |
| Regional Coordinating Director |
Region 3
The Region 3 hub and regional leadership listed below are based at the University of New Mexico Cancer Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Region 3 serves Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Visit the Region 3 website to learn more.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Principal Investigator | Cheryl L. Willman |
| Program Director | Andrew Sussman |
| Co-Program Director | Shiraz Mishra |
| Regional Coordinating Director |
Region 4
The Region 4 hub, called the Cancer Disparities Research Network (CDRN), is based at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Region 4 serves Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. Visit the Region 4 website to learn more.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Principal Investigator | Richard I. Fisher – Fox Chase Cancer Center |
| Co-Investigator | Melissa Simon – Northwestern University, Chicago, IL |
| Project Director | Nestor Esnaola – Fox Chase Cancer Center |
| Regional Coordinating Directors |
Linda Fleisher – The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Carrie Norbeck – Fox Chase Cancer Center |
Region 5
Region 5’s hub and regional leadership listed below are based at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. Region 5 serves Alaska, California, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. Visit the Region 5 website to learn more.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Principal Investigator | D. Gary Gilliland |
| Project Director | Beti Thompson |
| Regional Coordinating Director |
Region 6
Region 6’s hub and regional leadership listed below are based at the Huntsman Cancer Institute/University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. Region 6 serves Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Visit the Region 6 website to learn more.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Principal Investigator | Mary C. Beckerle |
| Project Director | Ana Maria Lopez |
| Regional Coordinating Director |
More Information
- For more information or to connect to a GMaP hub, email your Regional Coordinating Director or visit your region’s website listed above.
- Read about Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program in CRCHD’s The CURE Paradigm: Enhancing Workforce Diversity publication.
- For more information about NCI-Designated Cancer Centers, visit http://www.cancer.gov/research/nci-role/cancer-centers.