Mongan Institute
Disparities Research Unit
Message from Dr. Alegria
Welcome letter from Margarita Alegría, PhD, Chief of the Disparities Research Unit at Mass General.
Current Research
The DRU generates innovative health and health services research that impacts policy, practice, and service delivery for multicultural populations. Learn about our current research.
Past Research
The DRU generates innovative health and health services research that impacts policy, practice, and service delivery for multicultural populations. Learn about our past research.
Publications
Research publications from the investigators of the Disparities Research Unit at Mass General.
Our Faculty and Staff
The DRU is a collaborative research practice of investigators, clinicians and community groups dedicated to research impacting policy, practice and service delivery for multicultural populations.
About the Disparities Research Unit
The DRU mission is to generate innovative mental health services research that impacts policy, practice and service delivery for multicultural populations.
Disparities Research Unit News
Media
Battling Health Care Disparities, with Harvard’s Margarita Alegría, PhD - Different Brains - March 18, 2021
Undocumented Students Face Big Challenges with Remote Learning - NPR - March 4, 2021
COVID-19 and Racial Disparities: Transforming the Health of Businesses by Margarita Alegría, PhD, on HIT Consultant - Nov. 20, 2020
How a 'perfect storm' of issues during the pandemic has led to a mental health crisis in Latinx communities - Yahoo! Life - July 30, 2020
Undocumented workers facing hardships from pandemic often need help accessing services - Tyler Morning Telegraph - April 24, 2020
New Grants
The Disparities Research Unit has launched two exciting new NIH-funded studies in 2020.
Positive Minds Strong Bodies – Implementation: This NIA/NIMH renewal grant tests an enhanced version of the PMSB-E disability prevention program, offered by Community Health Workers and Exercise Trainers to racial/ethnic and linguistic minority elders. The original intervention has been strengthened and now includes a group maintenance component following the core program. A COVID-19 supplement will provide the opportunity for additional exploration of the pandemic on minority elders.
Latino Youth Coping with Discrimination: This NIMHD-funded project addresses mental health of Latinx youth in Indiana, focusing on discrimination-related stressors and mental health among Mexican-American youth living in a new migration area. In partnership with University of Notre Dame, Fordham University and Indiana University, this study addresses the effects of racism and negative neighborhood interactions, with the goal of improving the mental health of Latinx youth.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Alegria received the 2020 Rema Lapouse Award for Achievement in Epidemiology, Mental Health and Applied Public Health Statistics. She was recognized for her achievements at this year’s American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting, held online in October 2020.
The Mongan Institute
The Disparities Research Unit is a Mongan Institute research center. The Mongan Institute at Mass General is dedicated to supporting research in the areas of population and health care sciences.