Asthma is a serious chronic condition affecting over 14 million Americans, but the prevalence rates are higher in certain populations (e.g. 10 percent in inner-cities and 30 percent among the homeless vs. 5 percent in a general population of whites). African Americans and Hispanics from the Northeast are twice as likely to die from asthma as whites. African Americans are four times as likely to be hospitalized for asthma and are five times more likely than whites to seek care for asthma at an emergency department. Reasons for these higher rates are not certain, and most likely result from an interaction of risk factors such as environmental exposures, genetic predisposition, access to appropriate medical care, socioeconomic status, and cultural health practices. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute supports a variety of activities to address the pressing public health problems posed by asthma. However, progress in reducing disparities has been disappointingly slow. Separate, independent research projects have generated important clues for understanding the nature and scope of the problem. A more coordinated, interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach to research is needed to take advantage of these clues, move the science further and faster, and increase our capacity to improve health outcomes among minority and economically disadvantaged populations. Cooperative centers of research that foster partnerships among minority medical centers, research intensive institutions, and the communities in which asthma patients live will promote such advancement.