In Memoriam: Francine Gachupin
Francine Gachupin, a professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine who is celebrated for her work to improve the health of Native Americans, died on Sept. 23.
Gachupin dedicated her life to Native American health, focusing on youth, and their families, at high risk for diabetes, and worked to decrease healthcare disparities related to cancer prevention.
Francine Gachupin, Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine
After earning degrees from the University of New Mexico and the University of Washington, Gachupin joined the Department of Family and Community of Medicine in 2012 as an assistant professor. She was promoted to professor in 2023. Gachupin held joint appointments in the Department of Psychology, the Department of American Indian Studies (along with the American Indian Studies Graduate Interdisciplinary Program) and the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.
She supported many graduate students and research associates during her career and sat on multiple local and national boards and committees.
Gachupin is well known for her work with the American Indian Youth Wellness Camp, which was established in 1991 for American Indian youth at high risk for diabetes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gachupin transitioned the camp from an in-person camp to a "Camp in a Box" model, enabling youth and their families to continue to participate.
She is also well known for her work in Native American cancer prevention and her commitment to safe and respectful tribal research. Her training series, "Community-Based Tribal Research: Doing Environmental Research in Tribal Communities," was presented many times across the country.
Gachupin was recently awarded a National Institutes of Health grant for her project "A School Based Partnership with Rural Tribal Schools for Primary Prevention of Obesity Among American Indian Youth." As part of a collaborative effort, she also received a National Cancer Institute grant for "Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention."
Services were held in late September. Multiple units on campus are planning a celebration of life event for later this fall. Details will be released when they are finalized. At Gachupin's request, anyone interested in making a donation in her honor can give to the University of Arizona Cancer Center.
Read more about Gachupin on the University of Arizona Health Sciences website.