Message from the Director

Welcome to the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health (CRECH) a research center at the University of Michigan School of Public Health (UMSPH) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. CRECH is known for its commitment to conducting research focused on reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health and training research scientists from groups that have been historically underrepresented in leadership roles in public health is a high priority. Please take this opportunity to visit all aspects of our web site.

Our philosophy is reflected in our mission: “….CRECH provides a forum for basic and applied public health research on relationships among ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status and health. The Center seeks to develop new interdisciplinary frameworks for understanding these relationships while promoting effective collaborations among public health academicians, health providers, and local communities.”

Achievements/Future Commitments

The Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health (CRECH) was established in 1998 at the University of Michigan School of Public Health (UMSPH) to lead the School's response to dramatic changes in the racial and ethnic composition of the United States. CRECH continues to develop new approaches to those aspects of research, teaching, and practice that focus on the description and reduction of racial and ethnic health disparities. CRECH's goal is to prepare students to address the public health needs of an increasingly diverse society by providing training programs to provide a forum for basic and applied research on racial and ethnic differences in health across all departments within the UMSPH. Currently, there are three components of the CRECH diversity "pipeline" of training programs offered at UMSPH:  Michigan Doctoral Training Program, Michigan Master's Training Program, and the Paul B. Cornely Postdoctoral Program in Ethnicity, Culture and Health.

CRECH will continue to provide the opportunity for the School of Public Health, and the profession itself, to open doors to the American experience and how it impacts health and disease.

I welcome your feedback as well as your participation in all CRECH events.

Harold W. Neighbors
Director, Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health (CRECH)