As well, Mississippi has an African-American population particularly affected by those diseases that otherwise would not be easily accessible for Mayo researchers, Hall said.

The importance of biomedical research to understand and reverse health disparities, particularly in African-American populations, can't be overstated. UMMC and two historically black institutions, Jackson State University and Tougaloo College, are a decade into the Jackson Heart Study. The study investigates cardiovascular disease among 5,300 African-Americans in Mississippi's Capital. It's the nation's largest longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease risk factors in African-Americans.

UMMC is also a principal site for the 20-year-running Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, a larger population study, in which about a quarter of the 16,000 participants are African-Americans from the Jackson metro area.

Under the agreement, detailed arrangements could be more easily formed that give researchers at Mayo increased access to data and participants of the studies.

The agreement also formalizes ongoing research relationships between the two institutions. Investigators from Mayo and UMMC for several years have worked together on numerous projects. Those include research into hypertension-induced renal injury, the genetics of kidney disease, the genetics of microangiopathic brain injury as well as in research consultation, lectures, and symposia.

"This relationship sets up a wide platform for both institutions to work together," Hall said. "As more faculty members, fellows and residents find out about it, we'll see more projects, training and collaboration efforts."

Source: University of Mississippi Medical Center