Howard University Awarded $11.5 Million From Chan Zuckerberg Initiative To Expand Genomics And Genetics Research Capacity
Sholnn Z. Freeman
Sep 19, 2022 5 minutes
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WASHINGTON – Today, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) announced a partnership with Howard University and the nation’s three other historically Black medical colleges to further support cutting-edge scientific research to address significant gaps in genomics. CZI’s Accelerate Precision Health (APH) program will award $11.5 million to Howard University over five years, allowing the University to expand research in the genome field, bring on renowned faculty, fund post-doctoral fellows, and support grant writing for future initiatives.
The $11.5 million award represents the latest stride toward fulfilling a key research goal outlined in the Howard Forward strategic plan –– to leverage Howard’s genetic research to attract and mobilize resources to tackle global challenges, especially as they relate to Black populations. Black communities have been historically underrepresented in clinical trials and genetics research and today are still often excluded from medical studies. Recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite Black Americans suffering a higher mortality rate than whites, many studies excluded Black participants.
“To me, genetics research is more than just an academic pursuit,” said Howard…