Welcome
The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center is a bi-coastal cancer research and training center that brings together Florida A&M University (FAMU), the University of Florida (UF) Cancer Center, and the University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (USC-NCCC). The CaRE 2 Health Equity Center is funded by grants from the National Cancer Institute, Center for Reducing Cancer Health Disparities, U54 CA233396, U54 CA233444 and U54 CA233465.
Join The Cause

Our Vision

We aspire to eliminate cancer health disparities among Blacks and Latinos living in California and Florida, and contribute to paving the way to eliminate disparities in these populations across the US. Our long-term goals are:

  • to reduce cancer incidence and identify and study health disparities observed in ethnically diverse Black and Latino populations in Florida, California and nationally; 
  • to train and increase the pool of underrepresented Black and Latino scientists conducting health disparity research;
  • to increase research capacity at Florida A&M University  
  • to increase cancer disparity research at the University of Florida and the University of Southern California

What we stand for

CaRE2

CaR (Cancer Research)

There are stark cancer health disparities among African-Americans and Latinos in the US. For example, for all cancers combined, the death rate is 25 percent higher for African-Americans than for whites. Compared to Whites, Latinos have higher rates for stomach, cervical, and liver cancer, as well as worse survival for several cancers. Leaders of this triad collectively have expertise in translational genomics; molecular and cancer epidemiology; cancer health disparity; drug discovery; interventions to reduce disparities; and management of cancer pain and end-of-life issues. Together, we foster and fund innovative translational research across the University of Southern California, the University of Florida, and Florida A&M University.

E (Education)

A key goal of the center is to diversify the research workforce focused on cancer and health disparities. The center provides research-training opportunities for underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early-stage investigators (ESI) and will promote their individual research and career development.

E (Engagement)

We work together with our communities in California and Florida to disseminate information, learn about community needs, and engage community members in research, training, and outreach. We develop materials tailored for our unique Black and Latino communities in Florida and Southern California, provide bilingual community training sessions across the two coasts, train community advocates, and develop a new generation of Citizen Scientists.

Upcoming Events

BSMC Webinar with Dr. Chi

Please join us on April 30 for a CaRE2 Bioinformatics Core Webinar Series held from 12-1PM EST/9-10AM PST via Zoom. Register in advance: https://ow.ly/mCw550Rezrx Visit

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Center News

Stay Connected

Learn more about our center

CaRE2 Cancer Research Link©: Pancreatic Cancer Disparities featuring Prof Jose...

Prof Folakemi Odedina and Prof Jose Trevino

August 11, 2020

CaRE2 Cancer Research Link©: The CaRE2 Center Administrative Core

Prof Diana Wilkie, Prof Kinfe Redda and Prof Mariana Stern

August 5, 2020

CaRE2 Cancer Research Link©: Introducing the CaRE2 Health Equity Center

Prof Folakemi Odedina, Dr John Carpten and Dr Renee Reams

July 29, 2020

Want to Join Us?

If you share our interest in reducing cancer health disparities, please consider becoming a member of the CaRE² center. Investigators, trainees, community leaders, and advocates are welcome.

Upcoming Events

High Risk/Triple Negative Breast Cancer & African Ancestry

March 23, 2020
At 12:00 AM EDT

Register: https://bit.ly/2wdbAlg

Observance of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is March 25. On Monday, March 23 at 12:00 pm EDT, CaRE2 Health Equity Center is honored to hear from Dr. Lisa Newman, MD, MPH, FACS, FASCO. Dr. Newman is Chief Breast Surgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine and is a Principal Investigator in the establishment of the International Breast Registry. The International Breast Registry is a partnership between institutions in the United states, Ghana and Ethiopia which seeks to explore and address breast cancer health disparities faced by women of African ancestry through educational training programs and conducting research studies comparing biology of breast cancer between these populations that are both genetically linked and geographically separated by the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Past Events

Monthly Webinar with Dr. Ernest Kaninjing, DrPH MPH CHES

February 27, 2020
At Noon PST or
3:00 PM EST

Monthly Webinar: Connecting Community and Research- The CaPTC Familial Cohort Study In observance of Black History month, The CaRE2 Health Equity Center is honored to hear from Dr. Ernest Kaninjing, DrPH MPH, CHES. Dr. Kaninjing is an Assistant Professor at Georgia College and State University, in addition to being a Co-Investigator on the Prostate Cancer Transatlantic Consortium (CaPTC) Familial Cohort Study. Dr. Kaninjing will be speaking about his experiences Connecting Community and Research while collecting data for this study in communities of Black Men in the US, Nigeria, and Cameroon which has given him unique insights to commonalities and differences across a variety of cultures within the African Diaspora.

Bioinfomatics Webinar Series: Foundations in Biomedical Informatics (Part 1)

February 21, 2002
At 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST or
Noon-1:00PM EST

First in a series of free webinars on Bioinformatics, “Introduction to Basic Bioinformatics: Concepts, Databases and Analytical Tools” is presented by Enrique Velazquez-Villareal, MD PhD MPH MS CGH, Assistant Professor of Research and co-Lead of CaRE2’s Bioinformatics, Statistical and Methodological Core. See the Zoom replay here by clicking "learn more"

Translating your Science to Stakeholders Webinar Training Series

February 17, 2002
At 10:00 AM PST or
1:00 PM EST

Part 3 of 3 with Dr. Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Co-Leader of CaRE2 Outreach and Education Core and Yewande O. Addie, MA MPH, PhD Student UF College of Journalism and Communications on “Maintaining Participant Engagement” You will learn tips on how to make your research participatory and engaging