The Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC) in the University of Washington School of Public Health has been awarded $900,000 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for studies that address cancer disparities.

The first project, led by Peggy Hannon, director of HPRC and associate professor of health services at the School, and Allison Cole from UW Family Medicine, will evaluate whether a patient navigation intervention can be replicated and scaled-up to improve colonoscopy screening rates among low-income and uninsured or underinsured individuals. Previous studies have found that patient navigation can reduce cancer disparities by addressing barriers to screening, such as strict clinic hours.

The second project, led by Rachel Winer, associate professor of epidemiology at the School, will develop and test communication strategies to promote the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in underserved populations. The project will test HPV messages that are sensitive to cultural and language differences, access issues and lack of trust in health care systems.

HPRC is one of 26 Prevention Research Centers in the U.S., established by CDC in the 1980s to conduct community-based research that results in public health practice and policy.