Learn more about CHER and SHERC’s response to COVID-19 in our latest newsletter:
Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative
RIC creates new technical assistance group
Research Infrastructure Core (RIC) of the Southwest Heath Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC) recently restructured and created a technical assistance group focused in four areas:
- assisting researchers with project design and statistical assistance
- creating a training program inside Northern Arizona University
- offering external training for investigators and multidisciplinary groups
- developing an assistance with collaboration between institutions
Research assistance
RIC core faculty and staff have a broad range… Read more
De Heer receives CCPS funding
Brooke de Heer and her community partner, Kate Wyatt received $5,000 from the SHERC Community-Campus Partnership Support (CCPS) for their work with Flagstaff Initiative Against Trafficking (FIAT).
De Heer is an NAU assistant professor in criminology and criminal justice, and Wyatt, who founded FIAT three years ago, has worked with the Northland Family Help Center in Flagstaff for seven years.
By collaborating with… Read more
NAU epidemiologists make infectious disease bootcamp sessions available online
NAU News Feature
July 29, 2020
Though the COVID-19 quarantine has made it challenging for people to attend conferences and connect with colleagues, more than 100 individuals continued their professional and personal development through a four-part, online Infectious Disease Epidemiology Bootcamp that met each Tuesday in July.
Health care providers, faculty, students,… Read more
Fairness First episode 2: NAU faculty partners with local substance abuse treatment facility
Only one percent of substance abuse treatment facilities in the US allow parents in treatment to keep custody of their children, despite research that proves successful recovery hinges on holding families together.
To address the issue… Read more
NAU researchers study effects of COVID-19, health disparities on caregivers of people with ADRD
More than 6 million people in the US live with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), and more than 16 million family members provide the bulk of their care. In rural areas, where caregivers already have difficulty accessing health and support services because of health disparities, COVID-19-related isolation is exacerbating the intense responsibilities of these unpaid caregivers and potentially contributing to their stress, anxiety, depression and physical health.
To address… Read more
RIC research during COVID-19
The Research Infrastructure Core (RIC) for the Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative has a team of nine researchers, each with a full list of projects that they are responsible for. Though none of the researchers have halted their work, they have had to adjust to life working from home during the COVID-10 pandemic, which began more than a month ago.

De Heer addresses childhood obesity
In summer, elementary and middle school students seem to have unlimited time for outdoor exercise and exploration––long, sunny days free from classes or cold weather to keep them indoors.
But through three years of research, Hendrik “Dirk” de Heer found that weight gain among the highest risk students is highest in the summer months when there are no fitness programs available through schools and many families cannot afford… Read more
NAU investigators study childhood caries in Hawaii

Nationally, rates of early childhood caries, or tooth decay, among Hispanic, American Indian, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander children are almost double those of white children, making it the most prevalent chronic disease among these populations—occurring five times as frequently as asthma.
Researchers at… Read more
SHERC awards $180,000 to fund pilot projects focused on health equity
NAU News Feature
January 28, 2020
Northern Arizona University’s Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC) awarded Pilot Project Program research grants totaling $180,000 to four NAU junior faculty investigators conducting health equity research in the areas of biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences.
This year’s award recipients are Naomi Lee, an assistant professor in… Read more