{"id":8432,"date":"2023-09-08T10:24:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T17:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nau.edu\/center-health-equity-research\/?p=8432"},"modified":"2024-08-20T14:37:59","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T21:37:59","slug":"pilot-projects-completed-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/center-community-health-engaged-research\/blog\/pilot-projects-completed-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlocking Health Equity: Another successful round of pilot projects completed in 2023!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Pilot Project Program (PPP)<\/a>, a Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC)<\/a> supported program, funds projects from areas across Northern Arizona University (NAU) that show a meaningful relationship to health equity. The PPP promotes the development of early-stage investigators and underrepresented faculty by providing support and mentorship across campus. <\/span>PPP investigators across four colleges and 11 academic units have received over $18M in grant funding, including 13 National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards totaling more than $11M so far. Research carried out through the PPP is not just about collecting data \u2013 it\u2019s about making a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and communities. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four pilot projects concluded in May of this year and are on their way to improving health equity in Arizona and beyond.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Completed projects from 2023<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Developing a methodology for exploring health inequities tied to wildfire smoke<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Catrin
Catrin presenting her project poster to a group.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Catrin Edgeley<\/span><\/b>, a natural resource sociologist and assistant professor in the School of Forestry, received PPP funding to develop a methodology for exploring health inequities tied to wildfire smoke. Wildfires in the western United States are growing fiercer and more frequent as climate change continues to change our natural landscapes. \u201cSHERC\u2019s support of this study allowed me to act on this key research need and elevate examination and discussion of health disparities and environmental justice narratives into my work,\u201d Edgeley said. Edgeley utilized three phases of research to investigate how wildfire smoke affects communities here in Arizona. For this study, she:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n