The University of Guam has received an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue the university's research into oral precancerous lesions and other health risks among betel nut users in Micronesia. It is the largest grant the university has ever received, according to a story from Pacific News Service.
The funds will support the university's national cancer prevention program aimed at understanding the reasons behind significant cancer disparities and the impact on minority populations.
The projects funded by the grant include beetle nut and oral cancer research; breast cancer and obesity research; funding support for the cancer registry; an outreach program for youth tobacco cessation; and curriculum development in the Micronesian Studies masters program, cancer biology, and understanding the cultural context of cancer research. The University of Guam opened the Cancer Research Center in 2004, supported by the University of Guam and Cancer Research Center of Hawaii research partnership and an initial $3.6 million NIH planning grant that ends this year.
