The Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND)

There are two important goals for the USA in Healthy People 2010. The first is to increase quality and years of healthy life. The second is to eliminate health disparities. These disparities include differences in tobacco related outcomes as well as patterns of tobacco use by gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and socioeconomic position (that is, education, income, occupational status, wealth), geographical location, sexual orientation, and various forms of disability. The 2000 surgeon general’s report Reducing Tobacco Use identified eliminating health disparities related to tobacco use as a major public health challenge. In 2002 representatives from a number of disciplines and organisations met at a National Conference on Tobacco and Health Disparities. In addition to reviewing the existing science and highlighting gaps in the knowledge base, one outcome of this conference was development and articulation of a research agenda for eliminating tobacco related health disparities.1

Another important outcome of this conference was explicit recognition that tobacco related health disparities are very complex and exist at many levels, thus requiring a transdisciplinary perspective.2–5 This led the National Cancer Institute, in collaboration with the American Legacy Foundation to establish the Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND).

After a period of strategic planning, 21 scientists representing a variety of academic disciplines were invited to become core members of this transdisciplinary research network. These scientists work at 11 major research universities, two NIH Institutes, two philanthropic foundations, and one HBCU (historically black college and university) (the details of the core members of the network are listed at the end of the article).

The mission of TReND is to eliminate tobacco related disparities through transdisciplinary research …