Research

Photo of a researcher interviewing patient

To address the challenges of health disparities in multiple chronic diseases, our centers are developing and delivering new understandings and intervention approaches for chronic disease prevention, testing, diagnosis, linkage to care, and treatment for affected communities. Our projects range from implementation approaches to community-engaged strategies, and our research network supports multi-directional exchange of data and ideas between each center.

"The same social determinants of health – access to nutritious food, safe housing and quality education - influence disparities in multiple chronic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, cancer, oral health, and HIV. And those diseases also often interact with one another. The idea is to connect all of those dots."

Stuart Gansky, DrPH, MS
Professor, Oral Epidemiology and Dental Public Health, University of California, San Francisco
Associate Dean for Research, UCSF School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco
Lee Hysan Chair of Oral Epidemiology, UCSF School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco

Common Data Elements & Data Harmonization Working Group

Research and data managers from each center collaborate in the Common Data Elements & Data Harmonization Working Group (CDE&DH WG). The objective of the CDE&DH WG is to review the compiled information and recommend the required Common Data Elements for all Consortium research projects to collect and the data systems to be used for transferring de-identified data to the Research Coordination Center.

Pilot Studies

In addition to their core research projects, each center also funds and supports pilot projects from early stage investigators. These are managed through the Investigator Skills Development cores.

Resources

NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework(link is external)
The NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework is a multi-dimensional model that depicts a wide array of health determinants relevant to understanding and addressing minority health and health disparities. The framework facilitates assessment of progress, gaps, and opportunities in the NIMHD and NIH minority health and health disparities research portfolios.

PhenX Toolkit(link is external)
The PhenX Toolkit (consensus measures for Phenotypes and eXposures) provides recommended standard data collection protocols for conducting biomedical research. 

Projects

Woman checking her phone in bed
SLEEP2BWELL
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, NY
COMMUNITY: #4
Adults preparing healthy food
DASH-Life
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
MACCHE: #4
African American woman using laptop
Pascal: Culturally Tailored Conversational Agent for Quitting Smoking
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
C2DREAM: #4
Close-up of a cigarette
SCORE (Smoking Cessation Outreach for Racial Equity): A Pragmatic Trial of Chronic Disease Approaches to Ameliorate Tobacco Related Cardiovascular Disease Health Disparities
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
C2DREAM: #2
Photo of kids playing soccer
Family, Responsibility, Education, Support, and Health for Latino Caregivers (FRESH-LC)
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
SCCLH: #2
Students with family food kits
Project BRAID (Building Relationships Around Indigenous Endurance)
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
C2DREAM: #3
Photo of a black woman in a church
Community Health Workers United to Reduce Colorectal Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Among People at Higher Risk (CHURCH)
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, NY
COMMUNITY: #1
Woman exercising
Activity and Recreation in Communities for Health (ARCH)
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
C3EN: #4
Four people stretching together
UNLOAD-HF
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
MACCHE: #3
Photo of two black women using laptops
Food Delivery, Remote Monitoring, and Coaching-Enhanced Education for Optimized Diabetes Management (FREEDOM)
University of Alabama at Birmingham
South Birmingham, AL
FAC: #3
Air pollution
PATHFINDER
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
ACHIEVE GREATER: #4
Photo of town in the United States
FRESH Delivers: An Innovative Approach to Reducing Tobacco Use Among Rural Black/African American Smokers
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, AR
CRHSJ: #2
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HomeStyles: Shaping HOME Environments and LifeSTYLE Practices to Reduce Cardiometabolic Disease Risk
Rutgers Biomedical/Health Sciences
Newark, NJ
CAHPE: #1
Depiction of a sleep apnea patient using a CPAP machine
A Multilevel Intervention to Reduce Disparities in Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Related Cardiometabolic Outcomes
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN
Southeast Collaborative: #2
Photo of the Wayne State University Mobile Health Unit
ACHIEVE Heart Failure (HF)
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
ACHIEVE GREATER: #2