UK ASCEND welcomes new cohorts of scholars to address health disparities

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 14, 2025) — The University of Kentucky’s Achieving Success in Community-Engaged research to elimiNate Disparities (UK ASCEND) is pleased to announce the selection of its second and third cohorts of ASCEND Scholars.

Supported by a $3 million grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Specialized Centers of Excellence initiative (P50), UK ASCEND focuses on equipping research-intensive early-career faculty with the skills and resources to tackle health disparities through community-engaged research.

Led by a team of distinguished principal investigators — Nancy Schoenberg, Ph.D., Darwin Conwell, M.D., and Lovoria Williams, Ph.D. — UK ASCEND leverages the university’s Research Scholars Program (RSP) and Research Priority Areas (RPAs) to foster transdisciplinary research aimed at addressing health disparities in Kentucky and beyond.

“We developed this program based on the successes our faculty experienced as participants in the Research Scholars Program, a one-year long program that includes five levels of mentorship, professional development and networking,” Schoenberg said. “The ASCEND Scholars Program is a crucial addition to our faculty development programming, as it focuses on the critical need to build expertise in community-engaged research approaches. Community-engaged research is essential to move the needle on the serious health burdens we face.”

The two-year professional development program offers comprehensive training in community-engaged research. During the first year, scholars participate in the RSP while gaining access to workshops, conferences and coursework focused on community engagement. The second year provides funding for a $50,000 mentored and community-guided pilot project designed to translate research into actionable outcomes.

Support for scholars includes scientific mentorship, coaching and programming designed to advance their research careers while promoting meaningful collaboration with community forums.

A highly competitive application and selection process was followed to identify the second and third cohorts of scholars. Individuals were chosen as ASCEND scholars based on their potential to become highly successful community-engaged researchers and the merit of their proposed pilot projects. This process was led by the co-directors of the Investigator Development Core, Kevin Pearson, Ph.D., and Carolyn Lauckner, Ph.D.

“We had a large number of highly qualified faculty applicants from multiple colleges, and this highlights UK’s strengths and continued recruitment of junior faculty but also the need for a program like ASCEND,” Pearson said.

UK ASCEND recognizes its three cohorts of scholars.

Inaugural cohort

• Cheavar Blair, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine
• Aubrey Jones, Ph.D., assistant professor, College of Social Work
• Erika Littlejohn, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine
• Hend Mansoor, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, College of Pharmacy

Second cohort — beginning Feb. 1, 2025:

• Radmila Choate, Ph.D., assistant research professor, Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, College of Public Health
• Darlingtina Esiaka, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine
• Abigail Latimer, Ph.D., assistant professor, College of Social Work
• Meagan Scott, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, College of Education

Third cohort — beginning Feb. 1, 2026:

• Lynden Bond, Ph.D., assistant professor, College of Social Work
• Delvon Mattingly, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine
• Ketrell McWhorter, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine

By integrating research excellence with community-driven approaches, UK ASCEND underscores the University of Kentucky’s commitment to eliminating health disparities in underserved populations in Kentucky, the nation and the world.

Find more information about UK ASCEND online.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P50MD019476. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.