Dr. Myriam Shaw Ojeda and student team receive 2026 Outreach & Engagement Seed Grant
Myriam Shaw Ojeda, PharmD, MPH, assistant professor of practice, and a team of students from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy received a $10,000 seed grant from the Ohio State Office of Outreach and Engagement to support “Project VIDA: Vaccination, Innovation, Development and Access.”
The Office of Outreach and Engagement awards seed grants to support community-engaged research and projects conducted in collaboration with community partners to address specific needs or challenges within local communities.
Project VIDA expands an existing student-led initiative aimed at improving vaccination access and education for underserved Hispanic populations in the greater Columbus area. The effort is built on a community-based partnership with La Clínica Latina, a student-run free clinic that serves Hispanic patients.
The project seeks to increase vaccination rates among patients at La Clínica Latina while evaluating the effectiveness of a vaccine screening and triage tool integrated into clinic workflow. The team will also develop and distribute culturally relevant, bilingual vaccine education materials in English and Spanish.
La Clínica Latina will serve as the primary site for vaccine delivery and patient care. Clinic partners will help guide and distribute educational materials while supporting vaccine storage, administration and regulatory compliance.
Incoming third-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students Julien Trujillo, Hannah Hoffmann and Briana Fitzgerald have played a key role in shaping the initiative, contributing leadership and direction during its development. Pharmacy student volunteers will assist with patient screening, counseling, vaccine administration and documentation, while working alongside medical students during intake and triage. Volunteers will also support data collection and evaluation of the screening tool and educational resources.
"This project is driven by an outstanding student team," Dr. Shaw Ojeda said. "Their work reflects the strength of student-led, community-engaged care and the impact of thoughtful collaboration on improving health outcomes. We are excited to launch this next phase of Project VIDA and to continue building sustainable, community-centered models that expand access to vaccines and reduce preventable disease."
