(JACKSON, Miss.) — As February marks American Heart Month, Jackson State University has announced a significant investment toward its efforts impacting public health. The historically Black, doctoral university has received a 10-year, $14.5 million contract to extend the university’s Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities – both part of the National Institutes of Health – awarded the grant, renewing Jackson State’s pioneering role in the multi-institution collaboration supporting the Jackson Heart Study, the largest investigation of cardiovascular disease in African Americans.
“This investment reflects Jackson State’s continued leadership as a research institution and our ability to compete for major federal partnerships that deliver outcomes,” said Denise Jones Gregory, Ph.D., interim president of Jackson State. “It also reinforces our responsibility to develop talent and strengthen the evidence base that helps families live longer, healthier lives.”
Heart disease remains a leading cause of death in the United States, with African Americans experiencing higher rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other diseases, such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes also disproportionately affect the Black population and contribute to cardiovascular disease.
Initiated in 1998, The Jackson Heart Study investigates cardiovascular disease and related health risks in African Americans in the Jackson metropolitan area. The study has followed more than 5,300 participants aged 34 to 85, generating decades of data and biological samples that have been used to advance scientific understanding and improve prevention and care. Last year marked the program’s 25-year milestone recognizing the first participant clinical exam conducted on Sept. 26, 2000.
The Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center was established in 2013 at Jackson State to strengthen the capacity of graduate students to advance the science and practice of disease prevention, prolonging life and promoting health. Through specialized training and enrichment opportunities, the center prepares students for careers in biomedical and public health sciences, equipping them with the skills needed to serve communities where unmet needs are greatest.
“Because the Jackson Heart Study was built with and for our community, the knowledge it has generated over the past 25 years has saved lives and transformed our understanding of heart disease risk among African Americans,” said Marinelle Payton, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator of the Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center at Jackson State. “This renewed investment allows us to continue training the next generation of public health leaders to translate world-class cardiovascular data into effective prevention strategies, earlier care, and healthier futures.”
Alongside Jackson State, the study’s collaboration includes the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Tougaloo College, University of Southern Mississippi, Wake Forest University and the G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center. Together, they support follow-up research, new discovery, and broader access to data through established processes that protect participant confidentiality.
Since 2013, Jackson State has been awarded over $25 million through the NIH grant for its work related to the study. The university’s participation has helped support graduate training, workforce development and community-focused research.
“This new award strengthens our role in advancing research while preparing students for careers that directly address health disparities,” said Almesha Campbell, Ph.D., vice president for research and economic development at Jackson State. “With the Jackson Heart Study entering its next era, we are focused on building a workforce equipped to translate data into effective prevention strategies and meaningful real-world impact.”