Jackson State University will use $14.5 million in funding to investigate cardiovascular disease and related health risks in Black Mississippians.
The money resulted from a 10-year contract the university inked with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to extend its Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center.
The Jackson Heart Study is the largest investigation of cardiovascular disease in African Americans. Its work has spanned more than 5,300 participants aged 34 to 85, generating decades of data and biological samples used to advance scientific understanding and improve prevention and care. Last year marked the program’s 25-year milestone, recognizing the first participant clinical exam conducted on Sept. 26, 2000.
The Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center was established in 2013 at JSU to strengthen the capacity of graduate students to advance the science and practice of disease prevention, prolonging life, and promoting health. Through specialized training and enrichment opportunities, the center prepares students for careers in biomedical and public health sciences.
“This investment reflects Jackson State’s continued leadership as a research institution and our ability to compete for major federal partnerships that deliver outcomes,” Interim Jackson State President Dr. Denise Jones Gregory said. “It also reinforces our responsibility to develop talent and strengthen the evidence base that helps families live longer, healthier lives.”
Heart disease remains a leading cause of death in Mississippi, with Black citizens experiencing higher rates than other ethnic groups. Other diseases, such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, also disproportionately affect the Black population and contribute to cardiovascular disease.
“Because the Jackson Heart Study was built with and for our community, the knowledge it has generated over 25 years has saved lives and transformed our understanding of heart disease risk among African Americans,” Marinelle Payton, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator of the Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center, said.
“This renewed investment allows us to continue training the next generation of public health leaders to translate world-class cardiovascular data into effective prevention strategies, earlier care, and healthier futures.”
Alongside Jackson State, the study’s collaboration includes the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Tougaloo College, the University of Southern Mississippi, Wake Forest University, and the G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center.