Featured

Read about the amazing things happening at the Center for Community Health and Engaged Research.

Great Beginnings for Healthy Native Smiles

rlr349 | October 21, 2026

American Indian children are four times more likely to suffer from untreated dental caries when compared to white children… Read more

Playtesting Adaptive Health Technologies with Hozhoni Foundation

rlr349 | July 23, 2026

The Center for Community Health and Engaged Research at Northern Arizona University is celebrating the success of a first-of-its-kind Gameorama community event hosted by the Playful Health Technology Lab, where local community members gathered to explore adaptive and playful health technologies designed by student researchers… Read more

Welcoming Tasha, Corey, and Denise to Team CHER!

rlr349 | July 22, 2026

The Center for Community Health and Engaged Research (CHER) is thrilled to share our new members of the CHER team. This year, we welcomed Tasha Nez, Corey Gorgas, and Denise Stippick to our growing team… Read more

Connecting Communities Across Continents

rlr349 |

What happens when social work, public health, and global learning come together? … Read more

CHER Associate Director Samantha Sabo Co-Leads National Grant to Enhance Cancer Care Coordination for Native Patients

Judith | March 28, 2026

Northern Arizona Healthcare, Inc. (NAH) has received a $248,500 competitive grant from the American Cancer Society and Pfizer, Inc. to improve cancer care coordination for Native American patients in northern Arizona and the Colorado Plateau… Read more

Northern Arizona University campus drove overview.

Building Stronger Care Teams with Community Health Representatives

Judith | March 27, 2026

In Tribal communities across Arizona, Community Health Representatives (CHRs) are essential to how care works by improving communication, strengthening care teams, and helping patients navigate complex systems… Read more

Oncology Focus: 3-Day Training for Cancer Patient Care Navigation

Judith | March 17, 2026

NAU’s Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention Program, funded by the National Cancer Institute, in collaboration with the American Cancer Society and Pfizer, Inc., hosted a Connected Care three-day Oncology Patient Navigation Training in January to strengthen cancer care support across Northern Arizona… Read more

NAU researcher co-leads NIH-funded project on autism health outcomes

Judith | October 14, 2025

FLAG, Ariz. –Northern Arizona University is playing a key role in a new nationwide research initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve health and quality of life for people with autism… Read more

Connecting Communities and Care: C-CART Scholars Lead Research to Strengthen Substance Use Treatment

Judith | August 27, 2025

This spring, four research teams completed their training through the Community-Centered Addictions Research Training Program (C-CART), a project of NAU’s Center for Community Health and Engaged Research (CHER). Designed to support students, early-career researchers, and behavioral health professionals, the program focuses on substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment for minority populations across the Southwest… Read more

A professor addresses the group from a podium to present certificates to the graduates.

Studying Health During and After Incarceration: SHERC Project Enters Phase Two

Judith | August 26, 2025

Researchers from Northern Arizona University’s Center for Community Health and Engaged Research (CHER) and the University of Arizona are entering the next stage of a groundbreaking study at the Yavapai County Detention Center (YCDC) aimed at understanding how incarceration affects health outcomes both inside the facility and after release… Read more