Dr. Carolyn M. Tucker appointed Florida Blue Endowed Chair in Health Disparities Research

We are delighted to announce that Dr. Carolyn M. Tucker has been named the first Florida Blue Endowed Chair in Health Disparities Research at the University of Florida. This is endowed by a $1.5M gift from Florida Blue to the University of Florida. In this new role, Dr. Tucker will have the opportunity to guide UF’s cross-disciplinary work in health disparities, including work to transition the UF Health Disparities Research and Intervention Program to the status of a Center. The Florida Blue Endowed Chair in Health Disparities Research will be the face of health disparities research at the university and will be expected and encouraged to be the primary contact with key state and national legislators, federal funding agencies and state and national media on the subject, thus providing leadership not only to the University of Florida, but to the state and national community as well.

The health disparities effort at the University of Florida focuses on the successful translation of basic, clinical, and social-behavioral research into health promotion and prevention efforts to eliminate lifestyle-related health disparities. Using a culturally sensitive, health empowerment approach, faculty will endeavor to reduce health disparities in Florida by such activities as promoting healthy lifestyles (e.g., healthy eating, physical activity and stress management) and reducing health risk behaviors (e.g., smoking and treatment non-adherence) across the lifespan, particularly among members of racial or ethnic minority, low-income, medically underserved, and rural/urban at-risk communities in Florida.