Project Grant R25LM014536

THE HIGHER ACADEMY: HEALTHCARE INTERPROFESSIONAL GENDER HEALTH, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH ACADEMY FOR GENDER EXPANSIVE HEALTH RESEARCH TRAINING AND COLLABORATION - A. PROJECT SUMMARY ABSTRACT TRANSGENDER/GENDER EXPANSIVE (TGGE) INDIVIDUALS ARE THOSE WHOSE GENDER IDENTITY DOES NOT ALIGN WITH SOCIETY'S EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR SEX DESIGNATED AT BIRTH. DESPITE AN INCREASE IN TGGE HEALTH RESEARCH OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS THAT HAVE ILLUSTRATED ALARMING HEALTH DISPARITIES, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE TO FULLY INFORM HEALTHCARE PRACTICES AND SYSTEM LEVEL POLICIES THAT ADDRESS INEQUITIES EXPERIENCED BY TGGE PERSONS AND OPTIMIZE INDIVIDUALIZED CARE. AN INTERPROFESSIONAL APPROACH TO TGGE HEALTH RESEARCH WHICH ENGAGES COMMUNITY MEMBERS, RESEARCHERS, PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CLINICIANS IN TRANSFORMATIVE AND PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH IS CRITICAL TO OVERCOMING THE SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO HEALTH. THE HEALTHCARE INTERPROFESSIONAL GENDER HEALTH, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (HIGHER) ACADEMY WILL CREATE AN ADAPTABLE, REPRODUCIBLE, SUSTAINABLE YEAR-LONG RESEARCH COURSE FOR INTERPROFESSIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS THAT IS TAUGHT EXCLUSIVELY BY TGGE INDIVIDUALS AND CISGENDER WOMEN. THE COURSE WILL INCLUDE ASYNCHRONOUS MODULES THAT WILL FOCUS ON HEALTH DISPARITIES, OPPORTUNITIES IN THE DELIVERY OF CLINICAL CARE, AND OPPORTUNITIES IN RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (WITH A FOCUS ON INTERSECTIONALITY AND PARTICIPATORY METHODS) AND ENGAGE HIGHER SCHOLARS IN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM- BASED COLLABORATION TO DESIGN A RESEARCH PROPOSAL AIMED AT PROMOTING TGGE HEALTH (AIM 1). THE COURSE CURRICULUM WILL BE INFORMED BY A NEWLY ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY-ACADEMIC ADVISORY BOARD (AIM 2). THIS INITIATIVE WILL BE DEVELOPED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, A LARGE URBAN PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTION THAT HAS MOMENTUM IN INCREASING EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN GENDER-INFORMED CLINICAL CARE AND RESEARCH IN SEVERAL COLLEGES. THE HIGHER ACADEMY WILL BE THE IMPETUS TO CREATE A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE AMONG INTERPROFESSIONAL FACULTY ACROSS THE COLLEGES OF MEDICINE, NURSING, PHARMACY, ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES, HUMAN SERVICES AND ARTS & SCIENCES THAT WILL OFFER NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH COLLABORATION AND MENTORSHIP FOR STUDENTS (AIM 3). THE HIGHER ACADEMY EFFORTS WILL BE EVALUATED USING SUMMATIVE AND PARTICIPANT-ENGAGED FORMATIVE PERFORMANCE METHODS AND WILL COLLECT QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA. COLLECTIVELY, THESE AIMS WILL AUGMENT THE TGGE HEALTH RESEARCH WORKFORCE AND IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF TGGE INDIVIDUALS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PARTICIPATION OF THOSE WITH TGGE EXPERIENCE AS INSTRUCTORS, ADVISORS, AND SCHOLARS.