Advancing Tribal Health Through Student Research Experiences

Students from high school through medical school came together in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, for the fifth annual Cherokee Nation Research Day, highlighting a growing pathway for students interested in Tribal health research and health careers.

Undergraduate scholars participating in the Native American Research Center for Health student development program, known as NARCH, presented findings from their nine-week mentored summer research experiences at the University of Oklahoma Health Campus. Two NARCH medical students from the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation also presented their summer projects.

For the first time, the event included students from the Cherokee INSPIRE program at Sequoyah High School. By bringing together learners at different stages of their education, the event demonstrated the importance of building a strong, sustained pathway for Native students to explore biomedical science, public health, Tribal health research and related careers.

Following the research presentations, students toured several Cherokee Nation health and education facilities, including the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center, the new W.W. Hastings Hospital and the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation. The visits gave participants an opportunity to see how research, education and health care come together to serve Tribal communities.

Since 2004, the Cherokee Nation and OU have partnered through NARCH to provide Native American undergraduate students with hands-on research training and mentorship. During the full-time summer program, students spend nine weeks working alongside faculty mentors on projects ranging from basic laboratory science to clinical and translational research, public health and community-based research. Scholars then present their findings at the conclusion of the program.

NARCH is one of five Summer Undergraduate Research Programs hosted by the OU Health Campus Graduate College. The program is a collaboration among the OU Health Campus, the Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma State University and is supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Leading this work are principal investigators Sara Vesely, Ph.D., and Sydney Martinez, Ph.D., both faculty members in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Hudson College of Public Health. Through these initiatives, they are expanding research and mentorship opportunities while building a stronger pathway for students to pursue careers in Tribal health research.

By pairing intensive research training with mentorship and real-world learning experiences, NARCH helps prepare the next generation of scholars to lead research that addresses the priorities of Tribal communities and advances Native health.

The Hudson College of Public Health congratulates the participating students, their mentors and program partners on an outstanding summer of research and collaboration. The College is grateful to the Cherokee Nation for hosting the annual event and for its continued commitment to advancing research, education and workforce development that benefit Tribal communities.