The grant will help increase the number of diverse students trained in biomedical sciences.
This new program will help us to build on that important work, as well as continue to fulfill our mission of serving historically underrepresented students,” said Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith, interim president of HSSU.
The United Health Foundation, the philanthropic foundation of UnitedHealth Group, has awarded a $2 million, three-year grant to Harris-Stowe State University to create a bioinformatics program for undergraduate students at the historically Black university located in St. Louis. Bioinformatics is an emerging field that combines science, physics, math and biology to aid in the diagnosis, treatment and discovery of new therapeutic advancements. An example of bioinformatics is the use of computer analysis on the Human Genome Project, which has recorded the 3 billion basic pairs of the human DNA system.
HSSU will develop a new undergraduate program to train students for careers as bioinformatics professionals. HSSU will use the support to: Develop new curricula combining coursework and experiential learning opportunities; expose high school students in surrounding school districts to the field of bioinformatics through a summer bioinformatics “boot camp” program; offer academic scholarships for up to 25 students each year.
“In the past decade, Harris-Stowe State University has emerged as a leader in training students for high-tech careers. This new program will help us to build on that important work, as well as continue to fulfill our mission of serving historically underrepresented students,” said Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith, interim president of HSSU.
Studies have shown that there is a substantial gap in the number of diverse college students trained in biomedical sciences. Black, Hispanic and Native American people account for only 7.1% of the employed biological/biomedical and life sciences workforce, according to the National Science Foundation. A diverse health workforce helps provide personalized, culturally competent care to an increasingly diverse population.
