The University of Kentucky Center for Health, Engagement, and Transformation’s mission is to synergize innovative, transdisciplinary, and impactful research and training to improve the health of the most vulnerable residents of Kentucky and beyond. Kentuckians suffer tremendous health disparities — among the highest national rates of the leading causes of death, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurological disease, substance use, diabetes, and obesity. CHET researchers aim to go beyond documenting health disparities to reduce or eliminate these health problems through intervention, implementation, dissemination, and translational science.

CHET provides training and professional development to support innovative, transdisciplinary science careers for the next generation of scholars. We developed the Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in KY (SPARK) program, which trains Kentucky undergraduates to undertake impactful research in their home communities. Our extensive graduate research assistant training program engages students from across the university in research and service projects and provides enrichment through workshops, visiting scholars, and seminars. Our postdoctoral training program focuses on addressing the tremendous burden of cancer in our rural regions.

We enhance the impact of our transformative research and training through our programming. These activities include pilot research project funding, a speaker and seminar series, research method workshops, community outreach and engagement, and other creative programming.

We welcome your support in our efforts to transform health by making a gift to the CHET Support Fund.