Research Mission

The mission of the research division of Family and Community Medicine (FCM) at the Texas Tech Health El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine is to advance the science of family medicine through the generation of knowledge to improve the health of the predominantly Hispanic U.S.-Mexico border population that we serve. The division seeks to become nationally recognized among departments of family medicine for engaging in high quality primary care, and population health research that improves the health of our community and eliminates disparities in health care.

A major research focus area for the division is cancer prevention and control, in line with the institutional goals of the Center of Emphasis in Cancer. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the U.S., and is the leading cause of death among Hispanics in the U.S. Our community suffers from a high burden of certain cancers, particularly breast, liver and cervical cancer, as well as lower rates of screening than other populations. Although survival from cancer has improved, it is very much stage-dependent, with hope of a cure being earlier diagnosis and prevention. Current research focus include Hispanic and rural health disparities as well as prevention and early detection of colorectal, breast, cervical, hepatocellular and HPV-associated cancers. The prevention and treatment of obesity is another research focus.

There is a support for the research division, including to access a diverse clinic and community population. The department currently has five faculty in the research division with expertise in health disparities, behavioral science, population health, health promotion, geospatial analyses, patient provider communication, health services research, and community based participatory research.

Since the research division was established in the fall of 2010, the faculty have been funded on over 20 separate grants from agencies such as the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Our grant portfolio includes a total amount of over $20 million dollars in funding.