National Cancer Institute
Members of the NCI Minority Institute/Cancer
Center Partnership Program
The NCI Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnership (MI/CCP) brings together NCI-designated Cancer Centers and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI)—colleges and universities that are committed to the special encouragement of students from ethnic minority groups, including African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and American Pacific Islanders. In addition to training, this collaboration focuses on reducing the disproportionate cancer incidence and mortality in minority populations. MSI and Cancer Center investigators are collaborating on more than 120 research projects. One example is the partnership between Nashville's Meharry Medical College—the nation's largest private, independent historically black institution dedicated solely to educating health professionals—and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Through their alliance, the two institutions are learning from each other and advancing student education, patient care, and research.
Grace Butler, Ph.D., and President
George W. Bush at NCI
Dr. Grace Butler does not just talk about cancer; she has lived it. Dr. Butler, a professor emeritus at the University of Houston, is a survivor of colorectal cancer who founded the non-profit organization called Hope Through Grace in 2002. The organization covers the cost of colon cancer screening for uninsured and underinsured populations and provides cancer awareness programs at shelters, churches, and higher education institutions, emphasizing underserved communities, including senior survivors of Hurricane Katrina who relocated to the Houston area.
