TALLAHASSEE – State Surgeon General Dr. Frank Farmer today applauds the development of Florida’s first Health Disparities Research Agenda. The Agenda was created by a partnership with the Florida Department of Health’s (DOH’s) Office of Minority Health, the Florida Center for Universal Research to Eradicate Disease (FL CURED), and the Biomedical Research Advisory Council (BRAC) in coordination with 31 of the state’s top health disparities researchers and outlines a research plan intent upon achieving health equity for all Floridians. The beginnings of this research agenda began approximately two years ago when the BRAC began looking for ways to partner with others to better understand how to reduce the impact of cancer and other tobacco-related illnesses on disparate groups. "Cancer and other diseases related to tobacco use like heart, lung and pulmonary disorders occur at higher rates within minority populations, often with deadlier consequences. This report is a beginning not an end, but it has the potential of 'changing the world' in a manner of speaking, by helping us to shape health disparities research infrastructure and support in the future. The Council will be studying the report carefully, looking for ways to give legs to the findings, " said Dr. Richard Bookman, BRAC Chairman. Click on the following link to view the full news release: Health Disparities Research Agenda News Release