First Wright Center faculty scholar in health disparities targets inequities in cancer screenings
Growing up in rural southeast Arkansas, Michael Preston, Ph.D., M.P.H., saw the value of early screening for colorectal cancer firsthand. His grandfather was screened early, and doctors were able to stop the cancer before it progressed. Preston credits the screening for getting to enjoy many more years with his grandfather than he would have otherwise. […]
New funding program targets rural recruitment through technology
The Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research announced a new funding program aimed at helping researchers recruit study participants in rural areas. The Rural Pilots Voucher Program offers VCU researchers and investigators at partner institutions the opportunity to apply for a voucher to offset costs related to innovative digital health methods for participant engagement […]
New Community Advisory Board will guide clinical and translational research at VCU
The Wright Center welcomes ten Richmond-area community members, researchers and advocates to a new board that will foster communication between members of the community and Virginia Commonwealth University researchers. The Greater Richmond Community Advisory Board will guide and inform clinical research at VCU by defining research priorities, evaluating projects and asset mapping. The board targets […]
Six short films address mental trauma of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities
Six short films supported by the Wright Center are now available to be streamed. The films address the mental trauma of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities and were produced by Richmonder Morgan Avery McCoy Harris. The How Do We Heal series was supported by the inaugural Wright Center Community Mini-Grant and features acted vignettes […]
Wright Center launches long-haul COVID-19 study with the help of twins
Virginia Commonwealth University is launching a study of the impact of COVID-19 on twins to try to determine why some people experience symptoms much longer than others. The Twin 360 project, which began this week, will help researchers understand the genetic and environmental factors for why some people experience lasting symptoms after contracting COVID-19. And […]
Ten years later: How the KL2 Program at the Wright Center trained a generation of research leaders
More than a decade ago, the VCU Wright Center inaugurated its first class of KL2 Scholars, a cohort of talented junior faculty members looking to advance the world’s knowledge of health through clinical and translational research. Since then, 14 researchers have enjoyed the mentorship, protected research time and general support of their research careers that […]
“It’s time to step up and learn”: Community advocates and health care providers connect on LGBTQIA+ disparities
Zakia McKensey struggled to find doctors who would treat her. The Richmond native came out to her mother at 16 years old and was kicked out of the house. She found a family in the LGBTQIA+ community, but health care for transgender people like herself was almost nonexistant, and patients were subjected to frequent discrimination. […]
Facing rising overdoses, VCU Health strengthens bridge between urgent ER care and long-term addiction services
Emergency departments across the United States experienced a surge in opioid overdose cases during the pandemic. Now, a program at VCU Health aims to help those patients receive the treatment they need after they leave the emergency department. The new VCU Health Virtual Bridge Clinic creates a direct link between the emergency department and treatment […]
COVID-19 survivor and trials participant looks forward to traveling again
When Linda Thompson retired from the Virginia Department of Transportation in 2019, she started a new job the next day — getting fit. “My new job was going to American Family Fitness and getting in the pool and doing water aerobics,” said Thompson, 72. “I was really in bad shape when I retired. So it […]
Clinical trial may have helped COVID patient beat life-threatening pneumonia
Paul “Pee-J” Beverly doesn’t remember being airlifted to VCU Health from Lexington, Va., last fall. In fact, he doesn’t remember much of his COVID-19 experience at all. But his girlfriend, Angela Griffin, does. “It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever been through,” she said. “Not being able to see him, barely being able […]
