Cynthia R. Pearson

Since earning my PhD in 2006, I have demonstrated sustained impact through scholarship, mentoring, and community engagement. I have secured over $55 million in federal funding as a principal or co-investigator on NIH, SAMHSA, and other grants, advancing culturally tailored mental health and HIV prevention interventions in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. This includes NIH-funded R01 and R34 trials addressing PTSD, substance use, and HIV risk.

I have authored or co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications focused on community-engaged research, Indigenous health equity, trauma-informed care, and implementation science. My work has contributed to federally recognized practices, including the Sacred Journey CPT model and the rETHICS curriculum on Indigenous research ethics.

From 2013 to 2025, I served on over 15 national and international scientific review panels (NIH, IHS, CDC, NIJ, CONICYT), reviewing grants on Indigenous health, behavioral health, and clinical trials, and held roles as Chair and Ad Hoc Reviewer.

In academic service and mentorship, I have guided dozens of early-career Indigenous scholars through NIH-funded programs (e.g., IHART, ISMART) and chaired multiple dissertation committees. I have led more than 18 ethics workshops for Indigenous research and tribal communities.

Beyond the university, I serve as an evaluator for tribal behavioral health programs, including suicide and substance use prevention and COVID-19 response efforts. My career reflects a deep commitment to Indigenous-centered, ethically grounded research and public health leadership.

rETHICS – Research Ethics Training for Health in Indigenous Communities
Publication: A culturally tailored research ethics training curriculum for American Indian and Alaska Native communities: a randomized comparison trial 

Access the rETHICS human subject training curriculum

Dr. Cynthia Pearson and colleagues have produce a rETHICS training toolkit. The toolkit consists of the rETHICS curriculum, facilitator guides, PowerPoint presentations, and case studies presented in six modules. Also included are quiz questions, an answer key, and a certificate of completion. Each PowerPoint presentation is matched with a step-by-step facilitator guide that includes in-depth information of each human subjects training content area and a scripted guide. A copy of the ETHICS peer review article – A culturally tailored research ethics training curriculum for American Indian and Alaska Native communities a randomized comparison trial is also included. The toolkit provides approximately 6 hours of training. A nontransferable copyright is provided to one trainer for each trainer toolkit. There is a charge for the toolkit and copyright. More information can be found at http://els2.comotion.uw.edu/product/rethics—research-ethics-training-for-health-in-indigenous-communities or contact Cynthia Pearson at pearsonc@uw.edu