Project Details
Description
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Prenatal genetic services have expanded at an extraordinary pace over the past 4 years with the development
of fetal genome sequencing using cell-free placental DNA in maternal serum. Some commentators predict that
this new technology, which allows for noninvasive determination of an increasingly wide range of maternal-fetal
health conditions, will improve prenatal care, especially in lower-resource areas. However, this is called into
question by research on lower uptake of existing prenatal screening and diagnostic services among ethnic
minority populations, even when structural barriers to access are removed. These disparities have led to
differential outcomes among some populations, including higher rates of live births affected by a genetic
condition and higher maternal-infant morbidity and mortality. We will conduct community based participatory
qualitative research with women of Black and Latina ethnicity to assess their understanding of and
desire to accept prenatal genetic services. Through our community partners, we will feed the results of our
research back into the communities in question in order to facilitate fruitful discussions of future interventions to
increase access in ethnic minority populations.
Candidate: I hold a PhD in Science and Technology Studies and have trained in clinical and research ethics
with two NHGRI ELSI CEERS, at Stanford and Duke Universities. My goal is to become an independently
funded researcher focusing on community based participatory research at the intersection of women’s
health, health disparities and genetics. To that end, my goals for this training period are as follows:
1. Improve skills in ascertaining and communicating genetics and genetic risk in the prenatal period.
2. Improve skills in community engagement and health disparities research
3. Build community partnerships that allow for long-term development and implementation of interventions
to improve access to prenatal genetic care.
The K award would allow me to seek answers to important questions around barriers to access to prenatal
genetic care among underserved communities. It would allow me to pursue training in community engagement,
genetics, and health disparities and to forge links with researchers in the field for collaborative dissemination in
order to build a robust research portfolio around reducing health disparities among pregnant women from
underserved populations.
Mentorship and Institutional environment: I have assembled a strong internal and external mentorship and
advisory team of experts in the fields of Bioethics and Obstetric Care to guide me and support my research and
training. The research will be conducted at Mayo Clinic, a premier research institution with access to extensive
genetic, health services, and translational research resources that will enhance my efforts to achieve my
ambitious aims.
Status | Finished |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 3/5/18 → 2/29/24 |
Funding
- National Human Genome Research Institute: $171,649.00
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