Collaborations/Partnerships Core

Morehouse School Of Medicine, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Despite major advances in basic science and technology, inequities in healthcare and health disparities persist. The health impact of translational blocks from basic science to clinical trials and the ability of doctors to provide effective treatments to receptive patients are most notable among African Americans and other under-served minority communities. In order to catalyze and accelerate the translation of basic science discoveries to improved health applications, and eliminate health disparities, we need new interdisciplinary approaches that create opportunities for community engagement to inform discovery research. The R-CENTER is leading the transformation of MSM's multidisciplinary clinical and translational science environment by supporting a culture of multidisciplinary collaboration and community engagement and by establishing an administrative home for clinical and translational research. The collaborations and partnerships core aligns resources and infrastructure support to foster new multidisciplinary research and training opportunities, integrate novel technologies as well as best practices in community and stakeholder engagement. MSM has begun to establish a reputation and track record as a collaborator of choice and is poised to leverage these partnerships, to emerge as a national leader in cutting edge multidisciplinary team science that is focused on the elimination of health disparities. The collaborations and partnerships core will integrate and consolidate our resources to support and sustain innovative discovery, training and community engagement, by implementing the following specific aims: Specific Aim I: Support and promote the RCENTER as a fully functional administrative home that will accelerate multidisciplinary team science in MSM research focus areas, across the clinical and translational research spectrum. Specific Aim II: Align and coordinate resource support for multidisciplinary research teams including pilot projects, training and mentoring resources in the RCMI G-12, ACTSI, CEHD as well as institutional faculty development programs. Specific Aim III: Deploy R-CENTER infrastructure to develop and sustain bidirectional community engagement through robust practice based comparative effectiveness research (CER), and community-centered discovery science, in order to efficiently translate new knowledge into improvements in the health status of minority populations.