Focusing Research on the Border Area

Focusing Research on the Border Area (FRONTERA) is a 10-week paid internship funded by Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools (HSHPS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the University of Arizona Hispanic Center of Excellence. The program provides graduate students with an increased understanding of public health disparities in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region through practical hands-on research experience, role model mentoring, and integration into a network of peer researchers/public health professionals invested in the development of each trainee. Participants are matched, according to their area of interest, with an experienced scientist/researcher whose research has an impact on border health.

Past projects have included:

• Assessment of a Promotora Educational Strategy to Promote Long-Term Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening in a Rural Community along the U.S.-Mexico Border
• Challenges to Farmworker Health at the US-Mexico Border: Focus Group Findings on the Major Causes of Stress in Farmworkers in Yuma County, Arizona
• Microcredit in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico: Building Capacity to Improve Health and Wellbeing
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA Integration as a Marker for High Grade Cervical Dysplasia (CIN)
• Knowledge of Clinical Trials Among 1874 Patients at the Arizona Cancer Center

General Program Information:

• Trainees DO NOT have to be Hispanic to apply.
• Trainees must speak and write fluently in English. Fluency in Spanish is not required but certainly welcomed.
• All programs are paid traineeships including sponsored housing and allowances for both local and long distance travel.
• Internships require a ten-week commitment while fellowships require a six-month commitment.

For More Information about FRONTERA and other HSHPS-sponsored internships and fellowships, please visit HSHPS Student Internship Programs. You can also contact Arlenin Dushku, Program Director, at adushku@hshps.org, or José Cárdenas, Program Coordinator, at jcardenas@hshps.org.

To Apply Now!

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For local information, contact the Office of Outreach and Multicultural Affairs at 520-621-5531 / 800-841-5948 or via email at azhealth@email.arizona.edu.