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WHAT'S NEW!!

FIRST DIRECTOR OF NEW NIH CENTER SWORN-IN TODAY;
"NATIONAL CENTER ON MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES" WAS ESTABLISHED BY U.S. CONGRESS

Bethesda, Md. -- John Ruffin, Ph.D., was sworn-in today as
the first Director of the newly-established National Center
on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) at the
National Institutes of Health. The new Center will conduct
and support research, training, dissemination of
information, and other programs about minority health
conditions and about populations with health disparities.

"I am delighted that Dr. Ruffin has accepted the challenge
of launching this important new Center," said Ruth L.
Kirschstein, M.D., NIH Acting Director. "Dr. Ruffin's
activities over the last decade with NIH have been
outstanding, and his interest in the study of health
disparities has already led to important advances in the
field."

"While the diversity of the American population is one of
the Nation's greatest assets, one of its greatest
challenges is reducing the profound disparity in health
status of America's racial and ethnic minorities,
Appalachian residents, and other similar groups, compared
to the population as a whole. And although some of the
causes of disparate health outcomes -- such as differences
in access to care -- are beyond the scope of biomedical
and bio-behavioral research, the NIH can play a vital role
in addressing and easing health disparities involving
cancer, diabetes, infant mortality, AIDS, cardiovascular
illnesses, and many other diseases. The NIH has made health
disparities a budget priority and an area of emphasis," Dr.
Ruffin explained.

The NIH is also seeking to improve the visibility of
minority health disparities research and other health
disparities research as well as expand the role of such
research in learning why some groups have is
proportionately high rates of disease. In addition to
awarding grants and contracts independently, the new Center
will continue the legacy of the Office of Research on
Minority Health in partnering with the NIH institutes and
other centers to support programs of health disparities
research with a focus on basic and clinical research,
training, and the dissemination of health information. In
particular, the NCMHD will serve as the focal point for
coordinating and focusing the minority health disparities
research and other health disparities research programs at
the NIH into a national health research agenda.

The specific goals and purposes of the new Center include
the following:

--To assist in the development of an integrated national
health research agenda, across disciplines, that reflects
the current and emerging health needs of racial and ethnic
minorities and other health disparity groups.

--To promote and facilitate the creation of a robust
minority health research environment with sustained funding
for a wide breadth of studies -- basic, clinical, and
population research; studies on the influences of health
processes; and research on the societal, cultural, and
environmental dimensions of health -- all aimed at
identifying potential risk factors for disparate health
outcomes.

--To promote, assist, and support research capacity
building activities in the minority and medically-
underserved communities, focusing on research
infrastructure development, faculty career development, and
increasing the number of underrepresented minority students
and students from health disparity groups with an interest
in careers in biomedical and bio-behavioral research.

ABOUT DR. RUFFIN

Dr. John Ruffin has over 25 years of experience in
developing and administering innovative programs designed
to train the next generation of minority scientists and
improve the health of minority populations. Throughout his
career, he has been committed to creating new learning
opportunities for minority students and faculty and
developing research programs to improve minority health.

In 1990, Dr. Ruffin was appointed as the first Associate
Director for Research on Minority Health at the NIH. In
this role, he has been successful in planning and bringing
to fruition the largest program in the country promoting
minority biomedical training and health research. Soon
after assuming this position, he convened an advisory
Minority Fact-Finding Team to help NIH identify specific
minority health concerns and current gaps in minority
training. Working in collaboration with the 53-member Fact-
Finding Team, he organized three large national meetings
involving nearly 1,000 members of minority communities.
Their recommendations served as guidelines for the Minority
Health Initiative, a set of programs aimed at improving
minority health throughout the lifespan and increasing the
participation of underrepresented minorities in all phases
of biomedical research. The Minority Health Initiative
received strong support from Congress and was initially
funded for $45 million in 1992. Support has increased each
year to a current funding level of over $86 million.

Dr. Ruffin has received numerous awards and recognitions,
including the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award (1998)
for his exceptional leadership in developing the largest
program in the country promoting minority health research
and biomedical training; the Samuel L. Kountz Award for his
significant contributions to the cause of increasing access
and participation in organ and tissue transplantation in
minorities; the NIH Director's Award; National Hispanic
Health Leadership Award; Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor
Society Award; National Medical Association Award of
Appreciation; and a Special Recognition Award by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services.

A native of New Orleans, La, Dr. Ruffin received his
Baccalaureate Degree from Dillard University (New Orleans)
and Master's Degree from Atlanta University. He earned a
Ph.D. at Kansas State University (Manhattan) in Systematic
and Developmental Biology, followed by Postdoctoral Studies
at Harvard University.