NURTURING MINDS through education
The UH Cancer Center provides high school , undergraduate , and graduate students from Hawai ‘ i and the Pacific with opportunities for transformative research and mentorship experiences with an emphasis on diversity and addressing health disparities . We piloted the High School Cancer Research Program * this summer , expanded the Cancer Research Education , Advancement , Training , and Empowerment ( CREATE ) program , and continued offering a Clinical Trials Shadowing Program as a Community Health option for first-year medical students of the University of Hawai ‘ i at Mānoa John A . Burns School of Medicine . This year , we also welcomed our first two CREATE students from Hawai ‘ i Pacific University .
* Private and public high schools nominated students for the pilot program .
KŪ OLA ( UPRIGHT LIVING ) PROGRAM
CREATE STUDENT : Xavier Heidelberg MENTOR : Kevin Cassel , DrPH
“ The CREATE program has highlighted the importance of incorporating cultural competency and diversity in research . Through my hands-on experience researching for Dr . Cassel , I have been able to engage with the community and truly gain more sensitivity and understanding while promoting cancer prevention . This experience will enable me to become a better Master of Public Health student and a better physician in the future . I have had the privilege to learn from cultural experts and leaders , build strong relationships with communities , understand the prevention and treatment of disease , support cultural preservation , and help people stay healthy overall .”
SKIN√ VAN
CREATE STUDENT : Gabriela Cruz-Mattos MENTOR : Kevin Cassel , DrPH
“ The CREATE program has furthered my passion for public health and medicine , teaching me and reinforcing the importance of community engagement , promoting education , and facilitating the involvement of research in multidisciplinary fields of health , as well as serving the larger community . Conducting research at the UH Cancer Center under Dr . Cassel , combined with my training in my Master of Public Health program and , eventually , medical school , will equip me to become a well-rounded physician who understands how community and culture impact health .”
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