Understand community needs
Bring community and family experience into conversation with health data, research, and professional expertise.
Our mission
National Institute for African American Health
Advancing African American Health Across Generations
NIAAH improves African American health by connecting community knowledge, health professionals, evidence, and opportunity across generations.
We help health systems and communities understand health needs in context, prepare future health leaders, and turn evidence and lived experience into practical action.
Knowledge and public scholarship
Patients and families
Future health professionals
What we do
We connect community knowledge to better health practice.
Health is shaped by clinical care, family life, history, social conditions, and lived experience. NIAAH brings these perspectives together so African American communities and health professionals can identify needs, strengthen trust, and pursue solutions grounded in evidence.
Our distinct contribution is the connection: community understanding, health system practice, and the next generation of health leadership. We apply that approach across generations, from student pathways to aging, caregiving, and family health.
NIAAH’s role
One mission. Three connected contributions.
Each part of our work strengthens the others.
Strengthen health system practice
Support trusted communication, culturally responsive care, clinician learning, and community-informed solutions.
Build the health workforce
Prepare and connect future leaders through NIAAH Scholars and learning opportunities across health professions.
Education and career pathways
NIAAH Scholars
Preparing the people who will shape the future of African American health
NIAAH Scholars exists to help African American students navigate the education and career pathways that lead to stronger health in our communities. It connects students with mentorship, academic guidance, professional relationships, and a community that understands both the promise and the barriers they may encounter.
271Scholars listed
66Mentors listed
138Scholar mentor matches reported
The program reports 138 scholar–mentor matches as of October 2026.
Figures as of October 2026.
Why this work matters
Representation in medicine and health professions can strengthen trust between patients and providers and support better health outcomes. Yet students can face financial, academic, and professional barriers along the way. NIAAH Scholars helps build a wider, more supported pathway so African American students can contribute their knowledge, leadership, and lived experience to the health of their communities. The program’s purpose is clear: expand opportunity and strengthen the people and institutions working for African American health.
Mentorship, academic support, and an engaged student community remain at the center. NIAAH is extending this foundation into a broader pathway for students interested in clinical care, research, public health, social and behavioral science, and related fields.
Who the expanded pathway is designed to serve
High school students: African American students exploring ways to improve health and preparing for college.
Undergraduate students: African American students at HBCUs and other colleges, from any major, who are interested in improving African American health. This includes students in nursing, social work, psychology, biology, sociology, public health, and other fields.
Graduate and professional students: African American students preparing for work in clinical care, research, public health, social and behavioral science, health education, policy, and related fields.
Visit the NIAAH Scholars and Mentors platform
Clinician education supporting the mission
NIAAH Certified
Preparing clinicians to deliver informed, responsive care
NIAAH Certified is building toward a nationally recognized professional certification in African American health care. Our long term goal is for every physician to earn NIAAH certification as a complement to specialty board certification, demonstrating preparation to provide whole person, culturally responsive care to African American patients. We also envision making this credential available to health professionals across disciplines.
The program currently includes eight hours of Pri-Med continuing medical education on precision medicine, communication, and trust building. NIAAH is developing the standards, assessment, and partnerships needed to establish a rigorous certification. The next milestone is to develop the certification standards and assessment, then explore partners for a pilot.
View NIAAH Certified courses at Pri-MedSignature initiative in development
Family Care & Equity
Redistributing the Circle of Care for Black Families
Caregiving should never fall on one person alone. NIAAH is building an initiative that brings healthcare, sociology, gerontology, and community practice together to support families, honor aging adults, and advance equitable eldercare across generations.
This focus connects family experience with health system practice. NIAAH is developing the partnerships, evidence, and community-informed work needed to make caregiving and family health a visible part of the national conversation.
Explore the initiativePublishing and public scholarship
NIAAH Press
NIAAH Press is the Institute’s platform for publishing and elevating ideas that deepen how Black health is understood. It features NIAAH Press titles and selected work by NIAAH’s leadership, bringing medical knowledge into conversation with mental well being, culture, history, and the social conditions that shape health.
Precision Medicine for African Americans
By Dr. Gregory L. Hall. An evidence based guide to communication, clinical care, treatment approaches, and better outcomes.
Explore the Springer editionBetter Black Health: A Comprehensive Guide in the Age of Precision Medicine
By Dr. Gregory L. Hall and family coauthors. A practical guide to African American health, prevention, medical history, and navigating care.
Explore Better Black HealthAging and Caregiving in Black America
By Dr. Timothy D. Goler. A sociologically grounded guide to aging and family caregiving.
View pre-order optionsLiberated Mind: A Guide to Black Clarity
By Dr. Timothy D. Goler. A framework for rebuilding clarity, identity, discipline, and personal agency.
Explore Liberated MindResearch, data, and health information
Find trusted knowledge about African American health.
NIAAH curates health information, research, data, and practical resources from trusted public agencies and community organizations. Search by topic or keyword, then follow each resource to its source. NIAAH adds value by organizing reliable material across health topics, providing context that helps people use it, and bringing community questions into conversation with professional and research expertise.
Search results are limited to CDC, NIH, MedlinePlus, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and UCSF Health. Results open in a new tab. Check each source and consult a qualified health professional for personal medical advice.
Health of the Black or African American population
CDC FastStats brings together national measures on health conditions, causes of death, and infant health, with links to the underlying data sources.
Explore CDC dataWorking together to reduce Black maternal mortality
CDC explains factors connected to maternal health and offers information for patients, families, and health professionals.
Read the resourceInfant mortality data and context
CDC provides national infant mortality information, including rates by race and ethnicity and links to public health objectives.
Explore infant health dataDiabetes statistics and related resources
NIDDK connects readers to diabetes statistics, including information on prevalence among African Americans, risk factors, and additional data sources.
Explore diabetes resourcesFinding help for mental health concerns
NIMH offers guidance for finding mental health support, including federal resources and ways to locate services.
Find mental health supportCaregiving toolkit
NIA gathers articles, worksheets, videos, and referral resources to support families and professionals navigating caregiving.
Explore the caregiving toolkitServices for older adults living at home
Learn about support such as home care, transportation, respite, and ways to find local services for older adults and families.
Find aging and care resourcesUnderstanding health disparities
NIMHD describes how health disparities are defined and measured, helping readers distinguish observed differences from explanations of their causes.
Read NIMHD’s overviewNIAAH Certified
NIAAH’s clinician education program focuses on personalized, inclusive care and communication with African American patients.
Explore NIAAH CertifiedPatient advocacy and health education
Explore NIAAH’s current health information and patient advocacy materials for African American patients and families.
Browse NIAAH resourcesBlack Mamas Matter Alliance
Learn about a Black women led alliance advancing Black maternal health, rights, and justice through research, advocacy, and cultural change.
Explore the Alliance’s workBlack Women’s Health Imperative
Explore policy priorities and research focused on advancing the health and well being of Black women and girls.
Explore policy and researchThe Center for Black Health & Equity
Find issue areas and resources from a public health organization working with communities and people of African descent.
Explore issue areasNo resources match that search. Try another term or choose “All resources.”
About this collection. This initial collection is a starting point, not a complete catalog of African American health research and resources. NIAAH identifies each resource’s source and will expand and review the collection over time. Follow the links for current guidance. For personal medical decisions, speak with a qualified health professional. Is there a resource we should consider? Suggest a resource to NIAAH.
Working together
NIAAH partners
NIAAH works alongside these partners:
Get involved
Work with NIAAH.
We invite health systems, academic institutions, community organizations, researchers, families, and funders to build focused work with NIAAH. Each partnership should begin with a shared need, a clear contribution, and outcomes we can assess together.