About El Centro

Welcome to El Centro, the Center of Excellence for Health Disparities Research at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies!


Our location puts us at the heart of one of the nation’s most dynamic and diverse areas and the gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. Approximately half of the nearly 3 million Miami-Dade residents are foreign-born. Over 70% of our population identifies as Latino and 16% as Black. Miami-Dade County also has one of the world’s most prominent LGBTQ2S communities.  Our local diversity provides vast opportunities to collaborate in research with communities facing displacement, discrimination, and other social challenges (nearly 13% of families live below poverty and nearly 20% of adults have not completed high school) that contribute to poor health.