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ABOUT US
The California Teachers Study (CTS) was founded in 1995 when 133,477 teachers, administrators, school nurses, and other members of the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) agreed to provide information about their health and behaviors to CTS researchers. In the years that have followed, participants have continued to provide important information about their health and lives.
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In addition to enabling widespread research on breast cancer, the data provided by participants has allowed CTS researchers to study the causes of multiple other cancers and diseases.
1995
Year
Established
133,477
Participants
Enrolled
4
Partner
Institutions
200+
Academic Publications
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The California Teachers Study team is committed to equity, diversity, and to honoring our participants’ contributions through excellence in research. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and equitable research environment in which all CTS researchers, staff, partners, and participants can participate fully.
Public health research is often at the intersection of science and social justice, and those who work in this discipline recognize racism as a public health crisis. The California Teachers Study acknowledges that social and institutional inequalities experienced based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation continue to disproportionately affect the health outcomes of marginalized groups.
Actively addressing disparities and racism is essential in our roles as health researchers. The California Teachers Study investigators and research staff are committed to advancing equity in research through:
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Continued internal education and discourse about diversity and inclusion
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Collaborating with other researchers to advance research on cancer and health conditions that disproportionately affect underrepresented populations
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Actively building partnerships to increase the diversity of researchers who use CTS data or join the CTS team
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