NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework

March 10, 2022

The NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework reflects an evolving conceptualization of factors relevant to the understanding and promotion of minority health and to the understanding and reduction of health disparities. The framework serves as a vehicle for encouraging NIMHD- and NIH-supported research that addresses the complex and multi-faceted nature of minority health and health disparities, including research that spans different domains of influence (Biological, Behavioral, Physical/Built Environment, Sociocultural Environment, Healthcare System) as well as different levels of influence (Individual, Interpersonal, Community, Societal) within those domains. The framework also provides a classification structure that facilitates analysis of the NIMHD and NIH research portfolios to assess progress, gaps, and opportunities.

Dr. Jennifer Alvidrez joined the NIH Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) as a Health Scientist Administrator in August 2021. Dr. Alvidrez leads ODP efforts to strengthen research to address health disparities in disease prevention. Before joining ODP, Dr. Alvidrez was a Program Official at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). In this role, she managed a diverse portfolio of research, capacity building, and training grants. Dr. Alvidrez also served as the Program Director for the NIMHD Centers of Excellence Program and initiatives on population health in the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands, on risk and resilience in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and on youth violence preventive interventions that address racism/discrimination. Prior to the NIMHD, Dr. Alvidrez was an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. Her research addressed barriers to mental health care among racial and ethnic minority populations, mental health stigma, mental health treatment for crime victims, and minority inclusion in clinical research.
Dr. Alvidrez received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Jennifer Alvidrez, PhD
Health Scientist Administrator
NIH Office of Disease Prevention (ODP)

Presented by the Investigator Skills Development Unit (ISDU) of the UCSF Research Coordinating Center to Reduce Disparities in Multiple Chronic Diseases (RCC-RD-MCD)
(MPIs: E. Charlebois, PhD, S. Gansky, DrPH, K. Rhoads, MD, MPH)
Co-Sponsored by CAPS Town Hall
ISDU Director and Session Moderator: Mandana Khalili, MD, MAS, Professor of Medicine, UCSF, Chief of Clinical Hepatology, San Francisco General Hospital