Congratulations to the 2026-’27 Cohort of DISCOVER Early Career Investigators

(July 23, 2026) — DISCOVER (Development of Investigators Supporting Community Outreach and Value of Engagement in Health Disparities Research) has announced the 2026-’27 cohort of early career investigators who received its competitively selected pilot awards.

DISCOVER is a P50-funded Center of Excellence in Investigator Development and Community Engagement from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities that was awarded to Georgetown University Medical Center in 2024.

This is the third round of DISCOVER pilot projects, which focus on community-engaged research that aims to improve health outcomes in cancer, stroke and maternal health in Washington, D.C.

DISCOVER provides structured faculty development activities for awardees and other faculty interested in learning best practices for planning and implementing research that engages members of the community. The initiative includes investigators from across the medical center and disciplines, and aligns with Georgetown’s strategic foci on ”health for all,” brain health, and bringing cancer care closer to home.

2026-2027 Awardees

Rebecca Ellis, PhD, MPH, RN, assistant professor of nursing, Georgetown University Berkley School of Nursing: “Model of Management of Community-Congruent Perinatal Mental Health Support for Black Women in Washington DC (MoM Care DC): Piloting the Feasibility and Acceptability of Community Resiliency Model Training”

Victoria Lai, MD, MS, assistant professor of surgery, Georgetown University School of Medicine: “Financial Toxicity Intervention Development for Patients With Thyroid Cancer: a Washington, DC-Based Community Engagement Pilot Study”

Allison Marshall, PhD, MPH, MSSW, assistant professor of human science, Georgetown University School of Health: “Cultivating Health: A Pilot Farm-Based Culinary Intervention to Address Cancer Disparities in Washington, DC”

Amittia Parker, PhD, LMSW, MPA, assistant professor of pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine: “Co-Designing a Single-Session Intervention to Support Maternal Mental Health and Service Engagement in DC Early Childhood Settings”