CHER Chicago

What does CHER Chicago do?

Advancing health equity and eliminating structural violence through science with community.

About us

8/30/18 Community Symposium

“We are hoping that CHER Chicago begins to break down structures. of violence.”- Dr. Robert A. Winn

Pilot Project Program

Three one-year awards available at $50,000 per award.

Learn More

CHER Chicago Values

The Center for Health Equity Research Chicago (CHER Chicago) will be a groundbreaking and inclusive hub of research and community partnerships creating a world free of structural violence.

Investigator Development

CHER Chicago strengthens health equity scholars and research activities that can expand our understanding of structural inequalities that expose racial, ethnic, and sexual and gender minority groups to differential risks and vulnerabilities.

Community Engagement & Dissemination

CHER Chicago acknowledges structural violence and its effects on people and communities can only be eliminated through engaging community partners in meaningful ways to transform academic research to real world social change.

Scientific Advancement

CHER Chicago strives to advance health equity research by developing and refining theoretical frameworks of structural violence and health equity; and by promoting multi-level, multi-disciplinary research on the social, economic, psychosocial, behavioral, and biophysical processes linking structural violence and health equity.

Public Policy Impact

CHER Chicago seeks to influence and partner with elected officials and government entities to advance legislation and protect programs that work in concert with our mission.

News

Find press releases, requests for proposals, and job opportunities

Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force is hiring!

Two new open position, Community Health Manager and Associate Director of the Chicago Breast Cancer Quality Consortium. Below are the descriptions and requirements of the positions. Associate Directo[...]

Request for Community Proposals – Due September 6, 2018 at 11:59PM CDT

Announcement for the 2018- 2019 Community Dissemination & Discussion Seed Grant The Center for Health Equity Research Chicago (CHER Chicago), based at the University of Illinois Cancer Center and [...]

Request for Research Proposals – Due September 6, 2018 at 11:59PM CDT

Announcement for the 2018- 2019 Pilot Project Program The Center for Health Equity Research Chicago (CHER Chicago), based at the University of Illinois Cancer Center and the University of Illinois at [...]

Interview and Event Recordings

Find video recordings of our interviews and events here

CHER Chicago Projects

Active research projects with a thematic focus of structural violence

Our research project with CHER Chicago is with a south east Asian mental health focus. South East Asian (SEA) immigrants in the United States face significant psychological distress due to their unique psychosocial stressors. Immigrants from these regions diverge from other Asian immigrants due to their exposure to structural violence and trauma prior to migration. The impact of pre-migration traumatic experiences and post-migration structural violence exposure on SEA immigrant children has not been well studied. This study will have 103 parent-child dyads. Dr. Karen E. Kim, The University of Chicago

Our CHER Chicago project is on stress and cardiovascular disease in mother and child. Obesity in Hispanic/ Latinx youth is a critical public health issue with wide-ranging, long-term implications. As a racialized group, Latinos also content with the injury of structural violence in its many manifestations—ranging from policies (e.g. migration laws), structural conditions (e.g. residential segregation, precarious employment), and personally-mediated forms (e.g. unfair treatment, racial microaggressions)—all of which increase structural vulnerability.Dr. Kristine Molina, University of Illinois at Chicago

The CHER Chicago project I am co-leading with Dr. Paul Grippo is on the gut microbiome and community stress. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Among all racial/ ethnic groups, the African American (AA) population exhibits the highest CRC incidence in the nation. Few studies have addressed both, biological and socio-environmental factors, including exposure to structural violence that may contribute to disproportionately high CRC risk in African Americans. Dr. Lisa Tussing-Humphreys, University of Illinois at Chicago

Upcoming & Recent Events

CHER Chicago endorsed events

Community Symposium
AUGUST 30, 2018
Featuring:
A keynote with
Dr. Julie Morita, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, and
Performances and Panels on Structural Violence & Health Equity
Location: 2800 S Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
Register

Racism as a Public Health Issue
MARCH 1, 2018
Featuring:
Dr. Camara Jones,
Dr. Linda Rae Murray,
Dr. David Ansell,
at the UIC School of Public Health Auditorium
Register

Request for Proposals (RFP)
MARCH 15, 2018
Three one-year awards available
$50,000 per award
Preference given to
UIC early stage investigators
from underserved communities
Apply

Contact

Please submit any questions and feedback you have any time.