FOREWORD: NIMHD TRANSDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIVE CENTERS FOR HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH FOCUSED ON PRECISION MEDICINE

The NIMHD Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers for Health Disparities Research Focused on Precision Medicine (PM TCCs) comprise regional coalitions of research institutions and consortium partners focused on priority research topics in minority health and health disparities. In April 2016, NIMHD, in partnership with the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), launched the PM TCC program to fund five centers across the United States to stimulate health disparities research with an emphasis on precision medicine to address one or more documented health disparities. The programs draw on expertise in genomics and other 'omics, physiology and medicine, population health disparities, behavioral and social sciences, and the science of translation, implementation and dissemination. The TCC program's overarching goal is to develop and disseminate effective interventions that can be implemented in real-world settings with the goal of promoting health equity and reducing health disparities. This special issue of Ethnicity & Disease is dedicated to cutting-edge research conducted by the five PM TCCs at the intersection between precision medicine and health disparities. Articles in this issue will enhance knowledge in a variety of research topics from perspectives on precision medicine among different health disparity populations to methods for reducing inequities in protocols, interventions, and health information and further efforts to promote inclusion of all populations, especially the most vulnerable.