Public Health and Health Disparities

The University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) is located in the heart of the Midwest. Its location provides access to research opportunities focusing on health disparities and public health in under-served rural communities as well as within the Peoria metropolitan area.

Rural Health Research

Peoria is situated only miles from small rural communities that benefit from the students and faculty of UICOMP. UICOMP offers two programs, through which students can enhance their clinical training in rural medicine and conduct research projects around these topics.

The Innovation in Rural Global Medicine is a four-year elective program that teaches the tools and techniques of innovation that are required to create sustainable change, improve access to health care, and reduce health disparities in under-served rural communities. The capstone here can be a research project in this topic.

The Rural Student Physician Program gives students the opportunity to train in rural healthcare settings. Its community-focused health project can have a research component, providing students the opportunity to study these settings in-depth.

Additionally, members of our faculty are studying ways to enhance care delivery via telehealth and other options.

Public Health Research

The Department of Family & Community Medicine has an active research program involving various topics in public health. Examples of recent studies have examined issues of food insecurity, and a program to decrease preterm birth and racial disparities in a high-risk population. A complete list of current projects can be found here.

Faculty in Emergency Medicine, Medicine, and Pediatrics also have active research programs looking at health disparities.

To learn more about the aforementioned research or if you are a student looking to get involved, please contact Research Services.