This summer, Warriors in Action is revisiting the topic of health disparities – a major initiative that the university has aggressively tackled throughout its history.

Wayne State has joined renowned faculty experts with students committed to addressing health disparities through research and advocacy, from prenatal to end-of-life care. Through interdisciplinary research and collaborative partnerships, Wayne State students are making a positive difference in their communities — nationally and globally.

As a national leader in health disparities research and advocacy, the university’s faculty and students have addressed medical issues affecting Detroit’s population such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma. Detroit has the highest asthma rate in young children among America’s 18 largest cities. Many other diseases and conditions — including heart disease, diabetes and HIV — also affect Detroiters at a disproportionately higher rate than the rest of America.

Wayne State has several programs available to tackle the issues of health disparities, which includes this sampling:

• Med-Direct (Wayne M.D.) guarantees admission to the School of Medicine and Irvin D. Reid Honors College for 10 students each year, especially those interested in studying health disparities.
• Perinatology Research Branch, the only National Institute of Health branch in the country dedicated to the study of infant mortality and premature birth, has helped more than 20,000 at-risk mothers since 2002.
• The Integrative Biosciences Center (IBio) is a $90 million facility dedicated to studying and eliminating the many health disparities affecting Detroit’s residents.
• Center for Urban Studies and its Health Research and Evaluation Program engages in interdisciplinary, community-based research that benefits the physical and mental health of local neighborhoods.
• Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute works to improve the development, health and well-being of infants, children, youth and their families across the lifespan through research, education and outreach.
• The Institute of Gerontology is dedicated to research in social and behavioral sciences, cognitive neuroscience, and issues of aging and urban health.
• The Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer Clinic is a medical-legal partnership that offers students training in practical lawyering skills while serving low-income cancer patients receiving treatment.
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) clinic is Michigan’s largest MS clinic and the largest African American MS clinic in the country, treating more than 4,000 patients annually.
• Center for Health and Community Impact provides an opportunity for elementary schools to participate in a healthy schools transformation program while building an environment for longterm sustainability.
• Horizons Project, the only HIV/AIDS program in Michigan that focuses on providing services to HIV-positive and at-risk youth ages 13 to 24.

Over the coming months, look for videos, stories and events that feature some of the many Wayne State University initiatives and passionate individuals – faculty, students and alumni — committed to eradicating health disparities. This content is part of WSU's Warriors in Action campaign, highlighting how Wayne State is making a difference.