Making brain imaging participation more inclusive for Black and Latinx communities
Improving Recruitment, Engagement, and Access for Community Health Equity for BRAIN Next-Generation Human Neuroimaging Research and Beyond (REACH for BRAIN)
This project works with community partners to increase Black and Latinx participation in brain imaging research using community-led recruitment and engagement strategies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11171702 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, community members and researchers will co-create ways to make brain imaging studies easier and fairer to join. You might take part in local meetings, give feedback on materials and procedures, and be invited to imaging visits if you choose. The team will use an existing stakeholder network, an Outcome Map, and a Theory of Change to guide and measure their activities, starting with recruitment for Connectome 2.0. They will track whether these community-driven steps increase participation and produce ethical guidance to share more broadly.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people from underrepresented groups—especially Black and Latinx community members—who are willing to engage with researchers, give feedback, and possibly take part in neuroimaging visits.
Not a fit: People seeking direct medical treatment or those not from the targeted underrepresented communities may not get direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make brain imaging research results more relevant to Black and Latinx communities and help future studies be more fair and accessible.
How similar studies have performed: Community-engagement approaches have improved participation in other areas and the project builds on pilot work, but applying these methods specifically to next-generation neuroimaging is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shen, Francis X — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Shen, Francis X
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.