Three photos. Left, women with pink hair standing using a cane next to har a woman with medium dark skin and black hair in wheelchair; center pink and green illustration of the covid virus; right person with black hair seated, right: peson with glasses medium sort hair looking at the camera and smiling — A $1.5 million award will fund research of the intersection of disability studies and chronic illness, such as long COVID. The project is being led by (pictured right) Ryan Lee Cartwright, associate professor of American studies. (From left, photos courtesy of Disabled and Here/Shona Kasinger, Trinity Care Foundation, Ryan Lee Cartwright)

Mellon Foundation Awards $1.5M for Disability Studies

Three-year collaboration between UC Davis and Yale connects disability and chronic illness

by Jeffrey Day
February 08, 2023

'An American studies professor in the UC Davis College of Letters and Science has received a $1.5 million award from the Mellon Foundation for a project to explore the intersection of research on disability and chronic illness. The three-year project in partnership with Yale University aims to develop a national network of scholars, culture workers and organizers who will bring disability justice approaches to the study of chronic illness.

“Enduring Conditions: A Disability, Illness, and Care Collaboratory” is being led by Associate Professor Ryan Lee Cartwright in conjunction with Kalindi Vora, a professor at Yale University and former director of the UC Davis Feminist Research Institute.

"This definitely gives UC Davis the opportunity to develop a national presence in disability studies,” said Cartwright, who taught the first UC Davis disability studies class last year. “UC Davis has the potential to be a leader in the field. We hope to grow disability studies beyond the three years of this project and to deepen our relationships with community organizations. This is an exciting moment.”'

Read the full story at College of Letters and Science News