The Howard University Cancer Center and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have recently received a $13.5 million federal grant from the National Cancer Institute to establish the Howard-Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Alliance in Cancer Research, Education, and Equity (H2CAREE), an initiative aimed at advancing cancer research and eliminating health disparities among African Americans.
The new alliance will bring together leading scholars from both institutions, leveraging each university’s unique expertise and resources. In addition to interdisciplinary research projects, H2CAREE will also focus on strengthening the cancer research workforce by training the next generation of diverse biomedical scientists. Furthermore, the alliance will facilitate community engagement programs aimed at improving patient care for underserved populations.
Dr. Clayton Yates, the inaugural John R. Lewis Professor and chair of pathology, oncology, and urology at Johns Hopkins, will serve as H2CAREE’s co-principal investigator, alongside his colleague, Dr. Heng Li, associate professor of radiation oncology and the university’s chief proton physicist.
“We’re dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and making sure that equity starts with training providers and making them culturally competent and sensitive scientists,” said Dr. Yates. “The lasting impact of this collaboration will be our imprint in the community and the people we’re going to train at Howard and Johns Hopkins.”
An HBCU graduate, Dr. Yates received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Tuskegee University in Alabama. He earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
