NARCH Scholars Explore Indigenous Health Careers and Share Research with Cherokee Nation

This summer, undergraduate students in the Native American Research Center for Health (NARCH) program had the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Tribal health research and connect their work to real-world health systems. On July 16, NARCH scholars traveled to the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where they presented their research projects developed over nine weeks at OU Health Sciences. Scholars toured the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center and visited the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation—the first and only tribally-affiliated medical school in the country.

The NARCH program, funded by the NIH, supports undergraduate students with a strong interest in Tribal and Indigenous health through full-time, mentored research experiences. The collaboration between the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Cherokee Nation, and Oklahoma State University offers participants both rigorous academic training and meaningful cultural engagement.

Through site visits like these, students gain insight into the possibilities of Indigenous-led health innovation and strengthen their commitment to careers in health equity and public health research.

Learn more about the NARCH program: https://graduate.ouhsc.edu/Faculty-Research/SURP/NARCH