Philanthropy
Generous contributions from individuals and organizations support Rollins research, advance public health
Multiple Gifts Promote Food Fortification, Serve to Prevent Birth Defects
ADM has provided key support to FFI for the past three years. “Partnering with FFI was a natural fit for ADM, and we are very proud of the work we are doing together,” says Mark Lotsch, president of global health and wellness at ADM. “Fortification is a sustainable, transformational approach to improving health and wellness at a massive scale for very little cost.”
“These donations come at a pivotal time for FFI and will allow us to provide technical assistance and guidance to countries around the world that are taking steps to fortify staple grains,” says Scott Montgomery, director of FFI. “There is no reason that babies should continue to suffer from preventable birth defects. We are grateful to all our funding partners for joining us to build a healthier world.”
Gift to Rollins Epidemiology Fellows Program Supports Workforce Capacity in Georgia
The R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation has continued its support of the Rollins Epidemiology Fellows Program. This impactful initiative serves to build the epidemiology workforce for the state of Georgia by placing early-career epidemiologists in each of the state’s 18 health districts for a two-year fellowship. The R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation’s most recent gift will provide two years of support for a fellow in Cohort 4.
“The Rollins Epidemiology Fellows Program has exceeded all our expectations,” says Allison Chamberlain, PhD, founding director of the program. “Since we launched in 2020, we have placed 50 fellows across 16 of Georgia's 18 health districts and at the state health department. Half of the fellows that have graduated from our program have accepted jobs in state and local public health in Georgia, and 46% of those have advanced into leadership roles. This program is making a marked impact on the public health workforce in Georgia, and gifts like those from the Dobbs Foundation make this program sustainable. We are truly grateful.”
Corporate and Foundation Grants Advance Research in HIV/AIDS, Cancer, and Mental Health
Gilead Sciences, Inc., has renewed funding for the Gilead COMPASS® Initiative with a $4.5 million grant to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the South. This brings its cumulative funding of the project at Emory to $18.5 million over nine years. Emory is home to one of four COMPASS coordinating centers and serves as the lead center, working to strengthen more than 200 HIV/AIDS organizations in the region by providing funding and capacity-building support. Gilead, Emory, and their many partners aim to reduce HIV-related stigma and promote holistic wellness of individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS. Read about the impact the Emory COMPASS Coordinating Center has made.
Gilead Sciences, Inc., awarded $165,000 to Lauren McCullough, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology, for a project examining breast cancer disparities and the experiences of Black women in Georgia. Black women have the lowest 5-year relative breast cancer survival rate compared to all other racial/ethnic groups for every stage of diagnosis and every breast cancer subtype. McCullough’s project uses an approach called “narrative medicine.” In focus groups and community forums, women have the chance to share their own stories with each other as well as with clinicians and researchers, so that future breast cancer research, policy, care, and other services will better address structural and social barriers experienced by Black women, reduce deaths, improve other health outcomes, and close disparities.
The William T. Grant Foundation awarded $579,998 to Briana Woods-Jaeger, PhD, associate professor of behavioral, social, and health education sciences, for a project titled, “Understanding the Potential of Youth Participatory Action Research to Improve African American Youth Mental Health Outcomes.” Racial trauma, defined as stress and emotional pain resulting from experiences of racism, can result in depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among Black youth. Woods-Jaeger and colleagues will conduct a community- and youth-engaged qualitative study across three cities to explore how Black youth experience an intervention using photography, film, and other arts-based approaches. Findings may shed light on practices to promote growth and healing following racial trauma to help Black youth thrive, building on cultural and community strengths.
Learn more about how Woods-Jaeger and other Rollins researchers utilize art to promote public health in, “The Art of Healthy Communities.”
