The health of African American (AA) women is the focus of Peers Empowering Peers (PEP) a new program created by Eva Vivian, professor (CHS) in the Pharmacy Practice Division is one of 18 projects to receive funding to help spread the Wisconsin Idea beyond campus.

An oral history of farming, a study of depression among African-Americans and an effort to get veterans back to work are among the proposals winning grants from the Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment. An additional ten mini-grants encouraging innovation and experimentation in small-scale projects, including Vivian’s program, were also awarded funding.

The competitive grant program is open to UW–Madison faculty, staff and students.

Vivian’s research interest focuses on identifying disparities in the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases among ethnic minorities, particularly African American and Latino American patients and developing and implementing strategies to reduce and eliminate them. Recently, her research has sharpened its focus in response to heightened awareness of the great numbers of children and adolescents who are at special risk of diabetes.