Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate and Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York | CUNY Graduate Center
Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate and Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York | CUNY Graduate Center
The City University of New York (CUNY) School of Medicine has been awarded a $19.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a health equity center. This grant is the largest NIH award ever received by CUNY and will be used to create the New York Center for Minority Health, Equity and Social Justice.
Located on CUNY's Harlem campus, the center aims to address health disparities in Harlem and the South Bronx through research and outreach. The initiative focuses on racial and ethnic health disparities and seeks to increase minority participation in biomedical research. Despite more than half of New Yorkers being Black or Latino, they make up only 16% of doctors, with even fewer involved in biomedical research.
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez highlighted the university's mission: “The CUNY School of Medicine has long embodied the best of our University’s mission to expand opportunity for all New Yorkers through its efforts to diversify the healthcare workforce and confront health inequities.”
Dean Carmen Renée Green, MD, expressed optimism about the impact of this funding: “The New York Center for Minority Health Equity, and Social Justice represents a pivotal moment and step forward in our fight against health disparities."
The new center will join the National Institute of Minority Health and Disparities' Research Centers in Minority Institutions network. It plans to focus on three primary areas: developing therapeutic strategies for end-stage kidney disease affecting minority populations; providing mental health resources for Chinese American adolescents; and enhancing care for Parkinson’s disease patients within Latino communities.
As Manhattan's only public medical school, CUNY School of Medicine continues its mission to train diverse medical professionals committed to serving underserved populations. The student body is notably diverse with 83% bilingual/multilingual students, 59% second-generation immigrants, and 67% identifying as underrepresented minorities.
This significant NIH grant follows a record year where CUNY raised $672 million in external funding for research. It aligns with New York State's recent $4 million investment in CUNY School of Medicine as part of its 2024-2025 budget.
CUNY remains one of the nation's largest urban public universities with a commitment to social mobility through affordable education. With over 233,000 students across its colleges, it continues to contribute significantly to New York City's workforce diversity.
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