National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities 5U54MD007585-35

Community Engagement Core

Award to Tuskegee University for the Community Engagement Core project focusing on cancer genomics, obesity studies, and social determinants of health to improve treatment for African Americans in rural Alabama through community collaboration and research.

Description

The proposed project seeks to leverage our extensive network of community partners within the Rural region with the cancer genomic research and obesity studies proposed by RCMI scholars to provide a multilevel evidence-based study that creates a database that combines genomic indicators with social determinants of health (SDOH) factors, enabling more precise treatment modalities for African Americans residing in rural regions. The Community Engagement Core (CEC) advances methods for stimulating research participation, recruitment, and participant retention through collaboration between community residents and the RCMI research team. The CEC will implement the Total Cancer Care Connect (CCC) Model to support RCMI researchers and synergize data across Cores utilizing the PhenX survey and social determinant of health indicators. The CEC will leverage resources from community organizations to form a mutually effective link between CEC team members and Rural Counties of Alabama. Additionally, the CEC will engage undergraduate and graduate students in education dissemination, social media marketing, and community-based research methodologies to equip them to pursue health disparities research as a community responsibility.

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