Posted on October 6, 2005 at 9:15 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Three University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) faculty members each received $30,000 Charles Barkley Health Disparities Research Awards at the inaugural UAB Minority Health and Research Center (MHRC) Gala on September 30. The awards were presented by NBA star Charles Barkley.

Award recipients and their projects are:

• Lucy Annang, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior, for “Peer Education to Promote Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Prevention Among Young Adult African-American Women.” Diane Grimley, Ph.D., associate professor and chairman of the Department of Health Behavior, is consultant.
  
  
• Jamy Ard, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences, “Enhancing Weight Loss Outcomes in African-Americans Using a Modified EatRight Approach.” Co-investigators are Doug Heimburger, M.D., professor, and Suzanne Henson, M.S., R.D., both in Nutrition Sciences.
  
  
• Monica Baskin, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior, “Childhood Obesity Intervention at the Chris McNair Health Department.” Co-investigators are Frank Franklin, M.D., David Allison, Ph.D., and Jeanine Maclin, M.D., as well as McNair Health Department staff members Vera Egorshi, M.D., and Leann Beisher, M.D.

Funds for the awards were provided by the MHRC Barkley Health Disparities Fund to encourage research in health disparities and encourage young investigators and junior faculty to pursue careers in minority health research.

These developmental research projects have the potential to become either full-size projects or to lead to other extramural funding, according to Mona Fouad, M.D., director of the UAB center.