To put it bluntly, Mini Medical School isn’t. With a 22-year history and thousands of attendees, it is far from mini. And with educators from every area of the health sciences, it is not just medical school. Every year, the University reaches out to offer community learners a chance to explore a specific health topic from multiple perspectives. From cancer, to global health, to COVID-19, to the upcoming “Health and Wellness During a Pandemic,” Mini Medical School features a spectacular lineup of panelists, each examining the topic from their expert viewpoint. It’s interesting, informative, and a great way to hear from the people who are shaping health care locally and globally.
Originally an in-person program, the virtual format has allowed it to reach across the state of Minnesota and around the world. From high school students to retirees, people get a taste of what it’s like to be a student here, and many come back year after year.
If you’ve never had the chance to attend, now is a great time to sample this free program, either by checking out some of the previously recorded sessions or signing up for some or all of the three upcoming, one-hour, virtual sessions on Oct. 25, Nov. 1, and Nov. 8.
Many thanks to our OACA staff for the great work they do organizing this event and to all the participating speakers for being generous with their time and knowledge.
Driving Innovation & Discovery
Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain Receives NIH Funding to Study Early Child Brain Development
The University of Minnesota has received two grants totaling $26 million from the National Institutes of Health for research on the impact of substance exposure during pregnancy on child brain and behavioral development. The Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain will serve as a key data collection, management, and analysis site for the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study, a large, multi-institution project with 25 study sites across the country.
CTSA Grant Application: Call for Input
In May 2022, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) intends to apply for funding through the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award program. We’re currently brainstorming future approaches, and invite you to share your feedback on an aspect of the funding opportunity (although all input is welcome). These insights will help CTSI as the team brainstorms translational research projects that also have the potential to address a truly significant roadblock in clinical and translational science. Feedback is due Monday, Oct. 18.
Test Your Idea for Improving Health Care Delivery with Dedicated Support from Research Experts
The Rapid Evaluation Research Program provides investigators with mentorship and research design expertise, project management, implementation and dissemination support, and statistical analysis. M Health Fairview projects include data and technology support. Letter of Intent due Oct. 20
10,000 Families Study Receives NCI Grant to Study Environmental Exposures and Cancer Risk
A University of Minnesota-based team was recently awarded a UG3 grant from the National Cancer Institute: “The 10,000 Families Cohort: A new study to understand the environmental causes of cancer.” The 10,000 Families Study is a family-based study in Minnesota. This new award provides funding to investigate radon and chemicals of concern in drinking water which are suspected risk factors for hematologic cancers.
Advancing Interprofessional Education & Training
Better Together: Preparing for Collaborative Practice is underway this fall semester. Better Together is part of Phase I of the 1Health interprofessional education curriculum and serves as the first interprofessional course for health professions students. Approximately 1,300 students from 19 health degree programs are enrolled in this introductory course. Those taking part in this course this fall include health professions students from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Rochester and Duluth campuses, along with students from The College of St. Scholastica, Duluth.
Partnering With Communities
Focusing on Rural People and Places
The Rural Collective provides a forum with individuals and units from across the University of Minnesota to network, learn, and collaborate with the ultimate aim of improving health, quality of life, and community resources for rural people and places throughout Minnesota and across the U.S. Join the Collective now to receive an invite for an upcoming meeting.
U-Wide Events and Opportunities
Al Gore to Deliver First Swain Climate Policy Lecture
Join the Humphrey School of Public Affairs on Oct. 26 for the launch of their “Advancing Climate Solutions. Now.” Swain climate policy lecture. This virtual event will include a presentation with former Vice President Al Gore and a moderated Q&A led by the Institute on the Environment’s Jessica Hellmann. Gore will discuss the challenges facing the world in addressing the widespread impact of climate change.
Understanding the Health and Well-Being of Sexual and Gender Diverse Populations: Findings from a New National Academy of Sciences Report
Join the Center for Bioethics for an upcoming Ethics Grand Rounds on Oct. 29. A landmark 2020 study from the Committee on Population at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found widespread gaps in data collection on the lives and experiences of sexual and gender diverse populations. These gaps have led to a dearth of research, policies, and programs that address the specific needs of LGBTQI+ people, families, and communities. This event will provide an overview of the report’s findings and recommendations and will discuss the ethical themes in LGBTQI+ health highlighted through the report, with a particular focus on intersex and transgender health.
The Sickle Caste: From a Single Mutation to Victimization and the Road Back
Join the College of Pharmacy for "The Sickle Caste: From a Single Mutation to Victimization and the Road Back" on Nov. 4. This event hosted by the Department of Experimental & Clinical Pharmacology DEI Task Force is a presentation and discussion of equity and ethics in research with Dr. Ahmar Zaidi, medical director of clinical development, Sickle Cell Disease Program, Agios Pharmaceuticals.
Other News
