The CT UCEDD is a research mentor site for the Health Disparities Clinical Summer Research Fellowship Program, part of UConn School of Medicine’s Health Career Opportunity Program (HCOP). Each summer we mentor 1-2 students on a research project related to health disparities and disability.

The Fellowship Program is part of an initiative to promote variety in the health professions and offers programs and activities for underrepresented, disadvantaged, and first generation students. The 7-week summer program for rising college sophomores, juniors, seniors, or recent graduates provides a research and enrichment experience and an introduction to health disparities, cross cultural issues, principles of clinical medicine and skills for public health research and interventions working with multiple populations and community settings.

Students present their research findings at a poster session at the end of the summer.

The summer 2020 and 2021 program was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Local health agencies utilizing community health workers to perform local health activities and functions in CT

The admittance of disability in Community Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans by local health agencies in CT

Dr. Brianna Muñoz, D.M.D., M.P.H., was the alumni speaker for the 2023 Summer Enrichment Programs Commencement for the Health Career Opportunity Programs Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative. She is a board-certified pediatric dentist and practices in CT. She earned a Doctor of Dental Medicine from UConn School of Dental Medicine. During her pediatric dentistry residency at Connecticut Children’s she concurrently earned a Master of Public Health degree and Certificate of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies in Public Health from UConn.

Describing the inclusion of state-developed disability items on Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) in the US.

Our student from summer 2024, Jovita, is the student in the main image on the page.

We plan to have another student this summer.