COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORE

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A disproportionate burden of disease and illness is borne by poor and ethnic minority communities. Community-based research can improve health outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged communities. Development of researchers committed to community participation in disparities-related research and innovative approaches to disseminate findings in resource poor communities are important steps towards this overall goal. Furthermore, providing research education to community members so that they can participate fully in the research endeavor is important. This Project EXPORT Center Community Core has previously built, and will maintain, mutually beneficial, authentic, community and academic partnerships. This Community Core builds upon the strengths of our past Project EXPORT Community Core with established strong ties with the African American and Latino communities in Los Angeles and experience fielding two important community-based engagement projects: the Witness for Wellness Project and the Building Bridges to Optimum Health - Diabetes Throughout the Lifespan. In this application, our Community Core supports two important community-based research projects, decreasing HIV infection rates in African Americans and treating depression and diabetes in low-income Latinos. Both grew from our Drew/UCLA collaborative partnerships. The Specific Aims of the Community Core include: Specific Aim 1: Create and maintain mutually beneficial academic/community partnerships: 1 .a. Support community-based network partners working collaboratively with EXPORT researchers to support our two major research projects, our HIV prevention and depression/diabetes care studies. 1.b. Partner with diverse communities in developing their capacities for rigorous research and in developing investigators within their agencies who can work collaboratively in community-based research. Specific Aim 2: Achieve broader dissemination of our research findings, in part through ongoing support of our two community projects, as well as through two sponsored community forums to present our research findings. Specific Aim 3: Develop and implement a mentoring component: 3.a. Further develop infrastructure at Drew and UCLA to engage in community-partnered research to eliminate health disparities. 3.b. Mentor and teach community partnered research skills to junior faculty members and pilot project investigators interested in research to eliminate health disparities.