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Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center Heersink School of Medicine

Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center

Mentoring

Benefits of Mentoring  |   Responsibilities  |    Become a Mentor  |   Mentoring Awards  |     FAQs


Developing strong, independent researchers who can contribute to our mission of achieving health equity is the goal of the MHERC Training program. To help facilitate this, our team recruits faculty investigators to provide guidance to others who are interested in conducting health disparities research.

Our mentors represent faculty investigators from UAB and partnering institutions who are matched with undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty in MHERC's training programs.  

The mentoring relationship is beneficial to both mentors and mentees. Mentees gain insights from the experience of their mentors, enhance their knowledge, hone their scientific and technical skills, and learn about grant development and manuscript preparation. Mentors have in their mentees a valuable resource for carrying out research projects and preparing manuscripts for publication.

Benefits of Mentoring

  • Mentors have the opportunity to share their research experience with their mentees.
  • Mentees may be a valuable resource in assisting mentors with the implementation of research projects or with the preparation of a manuscript for publication.
  • In some training programs, mentees may be able to submit a budget for a research stipend, which may include research or lab supplies for the mentor’s research project if the trainee assists.
  • Mentoring may meet requirements for service for many faculty.
  • The mentoring relationship may lead to future research of mutual benefit or may initiate long-term collaborations as mentees become stronger candidates for grant funding as independent investigators.

 


Responsibilities

MentorMentee
  • Meeting and communicating with mentees on a regular basis to share expertise
  • Guiding mentees on research projects, grant development, and manuscript preparation
  • Providing advice on career development
  • Reviewing mentees' progress reports
  • Completing mentee evaluations as needed
  • Conduct research in an ethical and responsible manner expected of faculty members
  • Maintain satisfactory progress and participation in the training program according to the established timeline and as suggested by the mentor
  • Schedule regular meetings with the mentor and follow through with communication and plans

 

Become a Mentor

Interested in becoming a mentor? Apply today by contacting the UAB MHERC Training Program Director, Ann Smith, using the button below.

Email UsOpens an external link.

 

Mentoring Awards

The MHERC Training Program relies on dedicated mentors who go above and beyond to help guide young investigators in the field of health disparities research.

The MHERC invites students, scholars, and alumni to nominate candidates for the Excellence in Mentoring Award. The $500 award recognizes faculty members who not only have provided outstanding mentoring but have contributed substantially to the career development and retention of students and scholars.

Faculty members eligible for consideration are those who mentor undergraduate or graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, junior faculty scholars, or grant recipients. Previous Excellence in Mentoring Award recipients are eligible to be nominated again to encourage continued excellence. Three mentors will be selected to receive this award. Awardee are announced annually at the UAB MHERC's Health Equity Research Symposium in the spring.

Awardees for 2024 have been announced and the nomination process is closed. Please check back for information regarding the 2025 awards. If you have any questions regarding mentor nominations, please contact Ann Smith at annsmith@uab.edu.


Past Awardees

  • 2024

     

    Pamela Payne-Foster, M.D., MPH
    University of Alabama at Birmingham
    Professor, College of Community Health Sciences

     

    Kierstin Cates Kennedy, M.D., MSHA, FACP, SFHM
    UAB Hospital  |  UAB Medicine
    Chief Medical Officer
    Clinical Associate Professor

     

    Antonio Di Stasi, M.D.
    UAB Heersink School of Medicine
    Division of Hematology and Oncology
    Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy Program Unit

  • 2023

    Pariya Wheeler, PhD
    University of Alabama at Birmingham
    Assistant Professor, Nursing
    Nominated by Mayah Seal (Oakwood University)

    Nabiha Yusuf, PhD, MSPH
    University of Alabama at Birmingham
    Professor, Dermatology, Heersink School of Medicine
    Professor, Epidemiology, School of Public Health
    Nominated by: Brittany Isaac (UAB)

    Karlene Ball, PhD
    University of Alabama at Birmingham
    University Professor, Psychology
    Professor, Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
    Roohi Andrabi, PhD, MSN, BSN (UAB)

  • 2022

    Lily A. Gutnik, MD, MPH
    University of Alabama at Birmingham
    Assistant Professor, Biology
    Nominated by Sindhu Dwarampudi (UAB)

    Shailesh Singh, PhD
    Morehouse School of Medicine
    Professor, Microbiology, Biochemistry, & Immunology
    Nominated by: Briana Brock (MSM)
    Kaala Berry (MSM)

    Olivio Clay, PhD
    University of Alabama at Birmingham
    Associate Professor, Psychology
    Nominated by: Maya Martin, DSW, LMSW (Tuskegee University)
    Tamika Smith, PhD (UAB)

  • 2021
  • 2020

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no awards were given during this period. 

  • 2019
    Chasity Bradford, PhD
    Tuskegee University
    Assistant Professor, Biology
    Nominated by: Kennedy Harris, TU

    Markus Bredel, MD, PhD
    UAB
    Professor and Sharon A. Spencer Distinguished Endowed Chair in Translational Radiation Oncology
    Nominated by: Zachary White, UAB | Currently at University of South Alabama

    Sigrid Ladores, PhD, RN, PNP, CNE
    UAB
    Associate Professor, School of Nursing
    Nominated by: Leigh Ann Bray, PhD, UAB
  • 2018
    Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD
    UAB School of Health Professions
    Professor and Webb Endowed Chair of Nutrition Sciences
    Nominated by: Jennifer Bail, PhD, RN, at UAB

    Brian M. Rivers, PhD, MPH
    Morehouse School of Medicine
    Director, Cancer Health Equity Institute
    Nominated by Zakiya Haji-Noor and Ashley Ojeaga, MPH at MSM
  • 2017
    Henry E. Wang, MD, MS, MPH
    UAB School of Medicine
    Emergency Medicine
    Nominated by: Allison Jones, PhD, MS, at UAB

    Clayton Yates, PhD
    Tuskegee University
    Department of Biology and Center for Cancer Research
    Nominated by: Anusha Angajala and Tewodros Endalew at Tuskegee University
  • 2016
    Marie A. Bakitas, DNSc, CRNP
    UAB
    for mentoring J. Nick Dionne-Odom, PhD

    Roberta M. Troy, PhD
    Tuskegee University
    for mentoring Devin Jacob and the Tuskegee University Summer Cancer Research Training Program participants

    Danielle K. Powell, MD, MSPH
    UAB
    for mentoring Edinam Kokutse
  • 2015
    Turner Overton, MD
    UAB School of Medicine
    for mentoring Ricardo Franco, MD
  • 2012
    Lourdes Sanchez-Lopez, PhD
    UAB School of Arts and Sciences
    for mentoring Jonathan Casiano

    Monika Safford, MD
    UAB School of Medicine
    for mentoring Haiyan Qu, PhD
  • 2011
    Andrea Cherrington, MD, MPH
    UAB School of Medicine
    for mentoring Amanda Willig, PhD

    John C. Higgenbotham, PhD, MPH
    UA Department of Community and Rural Medicine
    for mentoring Leah Yerby, PhD

    Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD
    UAB School of Health Professions
    for mentoring Krista Casazza, PhD, RD
  • 2010
    Felix Aikhionbare, PhD
    Morehouse School of Medicine
    for mentoring Gregory Adams, Jr.

    Linda Moneyham, DNS, RN, FAAN
    UAB School of Nursing
    for mentoring Comfort Enah, PhD and Carrie Ann Long Gakumo, PhD

    Nefertiti Durant, MD, MPH
    UAB Department of Pediatrics
    for mentoring Chelsea Marion
  • 2009
    Maja Altarac, MDMPH, PhD
    UAB Health Care Organization & Policy
    for mentoring Keokunthea Dy, MPH

    Upender Manne, MS, PhD
    UAB Pathlogy
    for mentoring Harvey L. Bumpers, MD, FACS

    Karen Meneses, PhD, RN, FAAN
    UAB School of Nursing
    for mentoring Angela Jukkala, PhD, RN
  • 2008
    David B. Allison, PhD
    UAB Biostatistics
    for mentoring Olivia Thomas, PhD

    Jose Fernandez, PhD
    UAB Nutrition Sciences-Physiology & Metabolism
    for mentoring Akilah Dulun Keita, PhD, Krista Casazza, PhD, Dana Marie Thomas, PhD and Jennifer Williams

    Sheri Spaine Long, PhD
    UAB Foreign Languages
    for mentoring Lorena Vasquez
  • 2007
    Edward W. Hook, MD
    UAB Medicine
    for mentoring Mirjam-Colette Kempf, PhD

    James A. Mobley, PhD
    UAB Surgery for mentoring Senait Asmellash, PhD

    Isabel Scarinci, Phd, MPH
    UAB Preventive Medicine
    for mentoring Lorena Loran-Pothuisje

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Click a question below to see the answer.

  • Q: Who can be a mentor?

    Q: Who can be a mentor?

    Faculty investigators from UAB and our partnering institutions who are willing to serve as mentors for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty involved in the various MHRC training programs.

  • Q: Who can be a mentee?

    Q: Who can be a mentee?

    Only participants in MHRC training programs can be mentees.

  • Q: What training programs can I volunteer to be a mentor for?

    Q: What training programs can I volunteer to be a mentor for?

    You can volunteer to be a mentor for any of the following programs:

    • Health Disparities Research Education Program (HDREP)
    • Summer Cancer Research Education Program (SCREP)
    • Research in Aging through Mentorship and Practice – Undergraduate Program (RAMP-UP)
    • Cancer Research Immersion Student Program (CRISP)
    • Short-Term Research Experience Program to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP).
  • Q: How time consuming is a mentorship?

    Q: How time consuming is a mentorship?

    The time required to mentor a trainee varies by each program and by individual trainee. It may vary from about one to 10 hours a month.