Medical Professor Nationally Recognized for Work on Infectious Diseases

Dr. Yanagihara is surrounded by University of Hawai'i colleagues at the conference, on Dec. 1 in Maryland.

Dr. Yanagihara is surrounded by University of Hawai’i colleagues at the conference, on Dec. 1 in Maryland.

John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) Pediatrics Professor and scientist Dr. Richard Yanagihara has received a national award for his work to expand infectious disease research capabilities at UH, and for his prominent role in helping focus attention on needed research into why people of certain cultural backgrounds suffer disproportionately worse health.

The award was presented at the 2014 Minority Health and Health Disparities Grantees’ Conference (formerly known as the International Symposium on Minority Health and Health Disparities) in Maryland. The conference, titled “Transdisciplinary Collaborations: Evolving Dimensions of U.S. and Global Health Equity,” runs through December 3.

The Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program Directors Association presented Dr. Yanagihara with the award dedicated to the memory of Dr. Frederick C. Greenwood, an internationally acclaimed scientist and exemplary scientific administrator who worked at UH Mānoa.

Dr. Yanagihara, an alumnus of Kaimuki High School on O’ahu, is an outstanding researcher known for his prominent role in health disparity research. He has assisted in building capacity at UH for a laboratory-based retrovirology research program. He has also played a critical role in the development of infrastructure for infectious diseases research and has provided direct mentoring of junior and mid-career faculty.

Also honored with a Research Excellence Award was Dr. Glorisa Canino, for her work and committment to the community, especially as it pertains to minority populations. She is the Director of the Behavioral Sciences Research Institute in the School of Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico.

2014 Minority Health and Health Disparities Grantees’ Conference attendees include scientists engaged in health disparities research, health-care and public health professionals, public policy professionals, and community-based and faith-based organizations.

This meeting is funded in part by Grant Number 8U13 MD007596 to Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

by Tina Shelton on December 2, 2014 in External News, News, Research