Dr., Benjamin Young's legacy as founder of the ‘Imi Ho‘ōla Post-Baccalaureate Program was acknowledged on December 6. ‘Imi alumni, faculty, staff and esteemed guests gathered in the newly-named Dr. Benjamin Young Classroom.

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced the induction of 100 new members for 2024. Joseph Keaweʻaimoku Kaholokula, PhD, Professor and Department Chair of Native Hawaiian Health at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, is the second active faculty member to represent the University of Hawaiʻi.

JABSOM medical student Ryan Hiroshi "Keliʻi" Shontell and the Taparra Lab recently unmasked significant disparities in mortality rates among adolescent, young adult NHPI populations in a recent JAMA publication. Shontell hopes to use his platform as a future physician to shed light on the harmful impact that occurs when data on the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population (NHPI) is aggregated, or compiled together, with data on, often healthier, Asian populations.

A new study by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa discovered for the first time that Native Hawaiians experience higher accelerated biological aging in comparison to White and Japanese American residents. The study also reports that living in adverse environments, such as in neighborhoods with low socioeconomic status, is associated with accelerated biological aging independent of ethnic background. However, life experiences may be protective against accelerated aging.

This DNHH Medical Education Division leadership team will be assuming Dr. Winona Lee’s roles and responsibilities within the DNHH and JABSOM during her sabbatical period from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. 

Dr. Kelsie Okamura and the team from JABSOM's Department of Native Hawaiian Health, University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center and the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health, and University of California Riverside researchers as they explored effective strategies to prevent vape use.

“ʻImi Hoʻōla makes you step out of your comfort zone. They say you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Carnate said. “It kind of teaches you to navigate and how to be resilient, because medicine is not easy.”

JABSOM, the National Association of Pasifika Organizations (NAOPO), and Papa Ola Lōkahi (POL) collaborated on a project aimed at training and supporting additional Community Health Workers within Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. This initiative is known as "Peau o le Vasa," which translates to "the waves of the ocean" in Samoan. Recognizing its significance, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) allocated $1.4 million to further develop this project.

Ashley Lee was nominated Lee for the US Public Health Service Physician Professional Advisory Committee Excellence in Public Health Award. She accepted the award at the annual JABSOM Awards Ceremony.

The PONO Health Legacy Study is a new research study awarded to a team of Hawaiʻi scientists from UH Mānoa to study diabetes, heart and lung health disparities in Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Asians.

This month, ʻImi Hoʻōla, the program credited with putting more than 300 Native Hawaiians and others from underserved backgrounds on the path to medicine celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Dr. Dee-Ann Carpenter was born on Hawaiʻi island and was raised in Nāʻālehu, proudly known as the southernmost community in the United States. Dr. Carpenter knew she always wanted to help people, and on ʻImi Hoʻōla's 50th anniversary, she reflects on the program that helped shape who she is today.

Dr. Claire Townsend Ing carried those words from her father for decades, and this month, it culminated with the 43-year-old receiving a prestigious National Institutes of Health award for its potential impact on the health of thousands of families in Hawaiʻi.

Ahead of Sunday’s Convocation, nine Native Hawaiian graduates of the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) marked their transition from medical students to physicians at this yearʻs Kīhei Ceremony.

Dr. Brittany Sato (JABSOM MD 2023) knew she wanted to give back to her community. Sato, who hails from Nānākuli, is one of the few Native Hawaiian students who currently hold a PhD, and now, her MD.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have discovered a potential link between intestinal bacteria and the disproportionately higher rates of certain chronic disease and mental health risks among Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs). The new findings were published in a series of articles in Frontiers, the world’s third most-cited research publisher.

On February 7, 2024, family, friends and colleagues gathered at the department’s administrative offices to witness the unveiling of a three-panel mural with photos that showcased Dr. Tam’s accomplishments and roles throughout her career as the chair of Department of Medicine for 17 years.

Dr. Aluli was a true defender of Hawaiʻi, and throughout his life, he’d continue to fight for Hawaiians by calling on his medical background from JABSOM.

Dr. Chong was an ʻImi Hoʻōla graduate and went on to graduate from JABSOM in 1980. He completed his oncology training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and his Masters in Public Health at Harvard University. He returned home to advocate and champion addressing cancer health disparities among Native Hawaiians.

NHCOE has been supporting the advancement of Native Hawaiian students and faculty in medicine for the past 30 years and is the only Center of Excellence in the nation that is focused on increasing the representation of Native Hawaiian students in medicine and other health professions.

A graduate student born in Hilo, Hawaii is conducting research in the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) that is likely to have a significant impact on underserved and vulnerable populations. Christian Dye is probing the causes of diabetes and other chronic diseases prevalent in the Native Hawaiian and other communities. “My current research seeks to understand inflammation-associated disorders, like diabetes, from an epigenetics viewpoint – the influence of environmental factors (diet, exercise, smoking, etc.) on how our cells function by influencing how genes are turned on, off, or even changed,” he explained.

A graduate student in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the affects of acute HIV infection on the brain. Elizabeth Laws was notified about the F31 grant in August 2019.