Howard W. Francis, MD, MBA, FACS, the Richard Hall Chaney, Sr. Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology and Chair of the Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences (HNS&CS) department, and Dennis Frank-Ito, PhD, an associate professor in the HNS&CS department who researches the impact of human airway anatomy on respiratory airflow patterns using computational fluid dynamics at his Computational Modeling Research Lab were recently awarded R25 funding for “Developing a Pathway for Preparing Underrepresented Minority Students for a Career in Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences” by The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health.
The R25 funding is allocated to the Black or African-American research training Pathway to Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences (BAA-POCS) program, a research training pathway that will prepare participating Black or African-American undergraduate scholars for graduate or medical school aimed at pursuing research-related careers in Otolaryngology or the Communication Sciences. The program’s objective is to address career disparities in these fields by enhancing the preparedness of Black or African-American undergraduate scholars for a successful professional career in the multi-racial work environment of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences.
Despite efforts to enhance diversity, Black or African American individuals continue to face barriers in Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences. These barriers include limited access to quality STEM education, socioeconomic disparities affecting access to resources, and a lack of awareness about potential careers in these fields due to low representation.
The BAA-POCS program, in collaboration with Bennett College and Saint Augustine’s University, will provide rigorous research training to undergraduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in North Carolina over 15 months, mentored by Duke faculty. This program aims to inspire students and increase their interest in pursuing careers in Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences.