Health leaders launch new Latino-focused data hub to combat NIH budget cuts

A national group of Latino public health leaders this week announced the launch of a new research institute, which they say is a response to the hundreds of millions in federal funding cuts related to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The National Hispanic Health Research Institute, launched on Tuesday, will be the first Latino-led community research institute aimed at gathering health data to track and address disparities in underserved communities across the country. Because Latinos, like other racial and ethnic minority communities, are underrepresented in federally funded research efforts, the new institute will fill the gaps made larger by the cuts.

“Right now, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to ensure that every family historically left out of the data is finally seen and counted,” institute CEO Ken Barela said. “Our community-led model is designed to change that — because when we’re missing from the research, our communities are erased, and when we’re erased, we’re left behind.”

The institute’s launch comes after the National Institutes of Health canceled more than 600 health disparities projects, to align with Republican President Donald Trump’s priorities. NIH scientists publicly criticized Trump’s deep cuts in public health research, challenging in a letter the policy “that undermines the NIH mission, wastes public resources and harms the health of Americans and people across the globe.”

The institute plans to publish a public database that will include adults and children in Latino, Afro-Latino, Native American and rural communities. Initial research will focus on issues such as maternal mortality, chronic disease and youth health, areas where disparities are most severe for Latinos, researchers said.

Dr. Andy Beltrán, the institute’s chief medical officer, said greater access to research and health data would aid in addressing disparities among Latinos.

“The NHHRI serves not just as an engine for research, but as a guardian of equity,” Beltrán said. ”By reimagining health research through the lived experiences of Hispanic families, we are laying the foundation for a healthier, more equitable America.”