Mentoring: A Framework for Developing Health Disparities Researchers

Health disparities have been conceptualized as being the result of a confluence of factors: environmental, social, biological, economic, and cultural to name a few. Given the increasingly deleterious impact of health disparities on the lives of all Americans, new research methodological research approaches are needed to adequately understand and address the component parts of health disparities. To effectively address health disparities, an increased focus is needed on implementing transdisciplinary approaches to health disparities research. One approach is to focus on mentoring young investigators and students. This article discusses the centrality of mentoring in developing young health disparities researchers. An overview of health disparities research and researchers, and a summary of the different aspects of mentoring are provided. In addition, a case study of the implementation of a transdisciplinary mentoring framework at a higher education institution is presented.