Research Projects

Check out these research projects ongoing through the ITRRC and UND's Department of Indigenous Health.

Exploring the Healing Potential of Traditional Foods to Address Trauma as a Biological State and Chronic Disease in Urban Great Plains Indians

Research Project Leader: Joel Steele, MA, PhD

This COBRE research project centers Indigenous knowledge and traditional food systems to explore the biological and cultural pathways of healing in American Indian communities. Specifically, it investigates how the consumption of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) , a pre-colonial Indigenous food and medicine, affects epigenetic markers, metabolic health, and trauma-related outcomes in urban Great Plains Indian adults.

The study examines whether chokeberry can serve as a culturally grounded resiliency intervention by tracking changes in gene expression (e.g., IL-6 methylation), inflammatory biomarkers, mental health indicators, and historical trauma scores over a 6-week period. Grounded in the principles of community-engaged research and Indigenous food sovereignty, this work seeks to illuminate how cultural reconnection through food may reverse the biologic impacts of colonization and support long-term health equity.

By merging the emerging field of nutritional epigenetics with Indigenous approaches to wellness, this project represents a landmark effort to restore ancestral knowledge systems while advancing scientific inquiry. It also informs best practices in community-led research design, reinforcing UND’s commitment to decolonized, relational models of health research.

Stress and Health in American Indian Pregnancies

Research Project Leader: Andrew Williams, PhD, MPH

Dr. Andrew Williams leads the Stress and Health in American Indian Pregnancies (SHAIP) Study, a first-of-its-kind longitudinal project examining how maternal trauma and stress across the life course impact the health of Native mothers and their infants. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for American Indian people, and research shows its roots may begin as early as pregnancy and infancy.

The SHAIP study partners with Tribal communities in North Dakota to follow 375 pregnant American Indian women and their babies through the first year of life. By measuring maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), chronic stress biomarkers, obstetric outcomes, and infant growth, the study investigates intergenerational pathways that link trauma to future cardiovascular risk.

Findings will provide critical evidence to inform culturally relevant prenatal and infant health interventions, with the goal of reducing health disparities and preventing cardiovascular disease in American Indian communities.

Ceremony-Assisted Treatment (CAT) for Substance Use Healing

Research Project Leader: Brynn Luger, PhD

Dr. Brynn Luger, a Hunkpapa Lakota scholar and counselor, is leading a groundbreaking pilot project examining the impact of Ceremony-Assisted Treatment (CAT) for American Indian people seeking care for substance use disorders. Partnering with Oaye Luta Okolakiciye (OLO), a Lakota nonprofit in Rapid City, South Dakota, this community-driven study examines how traditional ceremonies—such as purification, healing, and rites of passage—support recovery, wellness, and cultural identity.

Using a mixed-methods, community-based participatory research design, the project surveys and interviews Native adults who have engaged in CAT at OLO. The goal is to document participants’ lived experiences, assess the perceived efficacy of CAT, and provide evidence that could one day make culturally grounded treatments reimbursable and more widely accessible.

This work not only addresses the urgent need for culturally relevant substance use interventions but also contributes to restoring the role of ceremony as a central path to healing and resilience in Tribal communities.

Impact of American Indian Boarding Schools on Perceived Stress, Allostatic Load, and Resilience

Research Project Leader: Ursula Running Bear, PhD, MS

American Indians who attended boarding school experienced repeated stress as a result of their attendance. Repeated stress in childhood increases allostatic load in adulthood. This study tests whether allostatic load (chronic stress) is related to American Indian boarding school attendance.

• Article featured on UND Today: Truth and Reconciliation
• Article featured on The Conversation: American Indians forced to attend boarding schools as children are more likely to be in poor health as adults
• YouTube Video: Federal Boarding School Initiative Press Conference
• Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report
• American Diagnosis podcast: Tribal Values, Tribal Justice

Pilot Projects

These 1-year pilot grants are designed to fund research addressing the impact of historical and unresolved trauma on health inequities within the American Indian and Alaska Native populations. 

All Basic Science, Clinical, Translational, Population Health or other faculty members at the UND are encouraged to apply.

Understanding Trauma & Resilience in Native Women’s Prenatal Health: A Social Determinants Approach

Pilot Project Leader: June-Yung Kim, Ph.D., LMSW

This pilot project explores how historical trauma and social resilience shape prenatal substance use among Native American women. It centers Native women’s voices and lived experiences to better understand the complex social, cultural, and structural factors that influence health during pregnancy. Using a two-phase explanatory design, the project: Maps emerging literature on the social and historical determinants of prenatal drug use through a comprehensive scoping review Analyzes large-scale public health data (North Dakota PRAMS, 2017–2020) to uncover distinct patterns of resilience and vulnerability across domains such as: Economic stability Education access Health care access Social and community context Exposure to historical and interpersonal trauma Through advanced latent class analysis, Dr. Kim identifies subgroups of Native American women with shared resilience profiles and examines how these patterns relate to the use of substances such as tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol during pregnancy.

A Community-Led Roadmap for Ending Sexual Assault and Reclaiming Sovereignty of the Soul

Pilot Project Leader: RaeAnn Anderson, PhD

Dr. RaeAnn Anderson leads “A Community-Led Roadmap for Ending Sexual Assault and Reclaiming Sovereignty of the Soul”, a project designed to confront one of the most urgent health disparities facing Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous communities experience the highest rates of sexual violence in the U.S., with devastating intergenerational impacts on health, families, and community well-being.

Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework, this project partners with Indigenous leaders, families, and community members to identify culturally grounded approaches to both prevention and healing. The work focuses on disrupting the cycle of sexual victimization that too often spans generations, while honoring Indigenous strengths such as family connections, cultural teachings, and the engagement of men in prevention efforts. The project also seeks to Indigenize research tools—ensuring that assessments of sexual violence reflect Indigenous experiences and values. By creating a community-driven research agenda and adapting existing methods, Dr. Anderson’s team is building a foundation for future interventions that restore wellness, resilience, and what Sarah Deer calls “sovereignty of the soul.”