Cole Allick, PhD, a research manager and outreach liaison for IREACH, graduated in August with his doctorate in Indigenous health from the University of North Dakota. He was part of the program’s inaugural class, which was featured by CNN.
“That was the best decision I’ve made,” Allick told CNN. “It has really refined my interest not only in health systems, but how to use health research as a tool for health equity and policy work.”
As a proud citizen of the northern North Dakota Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Allick says growing up in an under-resourced health care system inspired his career path.
The Indigenous health doctoral program at the University of North Dakota is the first of its kind in the United States. It was designed to offer students a deeper understanding of the unique health challenges faced by Indigenous communities.
Now a part of the WSU College of Medicine’s IREACH team, Allick is passionate about working with Elders and is focused on Alzheimer’s disease research and Indigenous research methods.