Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities are often underrepresented in health and medical research, leading to gaps in understanding their unique needs and perpetuating health disparities. Building trust and ensuring transparency in research can be especially challenging when communities have historically been excluded or harmed – this is where we come in.
Asian Women for Health’s Community-Engaged Research pillar works to bridge this gap by partnering with communities, researchers, and healthcare organizations to ensure that AANHPI perspectives shape the studies that affect them.
What We Do
- Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR): Collaborating with researchers and community members to co-design studies that reflect cultural and linguistic needs.
- Shared & Collective Decision-Making: Ensuring that communities are not just participants, but partners with real influence in shaping research priorities, methods, and outcomes.
- Identifying Barriers & Solutions: Gathering insights on challenges to care and participation in research – from stigma and mistrust to access and representation – and translating them into actionable recommendations.
- Building Research Partnerships: Connecting academic institutions, healthcare providers, and community organizations to promote culturally responsive research practices.
- Turning Research Into Action: Using findings to inform programs, resources, and advocacy that directly improve the health and well-being of AANHPI communities.
Our Impact
By amplifying community voices in research and practicing shared decision-making, we are not only improving the quality of life and life expectancy of AANHPI individuals – we are deepening how research is done, building on participatory models to make them more equitable, accountable, and impactful..
Representation is critical in science, including clinical trials and clinical studies, where AANHPI communities have historically been overlooked. Increasing representation improves our collective understanding of health and disease, leading to more accurate data, better treatments, and more equitable care for all. Our work ensures that these studies move beyond data collection to become tools for equity, cultural responsiveness, and real-world impact.
Join us in transforming research into action—turning insights into programs, policies, and practices that build healthier, more resilient communities.
