The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) has announced a combined gift of $20 million from the American Heart Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to reduce health inequities and improve community heart health.

The funding will support four teams of scientists and community leaders to engage in historically underrepresented groups, as well as research efforts aimed at reducing health inequities and improving community health. One team, the COmmuNity eNgagEment for building Capacity, Trust, and Ownership of Research (CONNECTOR), led by UT Health San Antonio’s Vasan Ramachandran and Amelie Ramirez, will receive $3.5 million for its initiative.

CONNECTOR will support the UT Health San Antonio team in identifying, evaluating and managing community-based solutions to fight precursors of heart and vascular disease, including upstream factors such as nutrition insecurity and other related determinants of opportunities for maintaining good health. The funds will go toward training the next generation of research scholars and community-based practitioners with field-based experiences and essential skills to drive meaningful changes in the community.

“We are grateful for the American Heart Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation investing in our initiative,” said Ramachandran, founding dean of UT School of Public Health San Antonio. “Our goal is to engage, support, understand, and learn from underrepresented communities regarding their specific health concerns and related needs.”

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