VCU NIMHD Comprehensive Center of Excellence

弗吉尼亚联邦大学（VCU）国家少数民族健康差异研究所（NIMHD）健康差异研究应用综合卓越中心（CoEHDR）的目标是将学术界和目标社区聚集在一个合作研究伙伴关系中，以解决早产问题。这项更新申请优先考虑在种族特异性遗传和早产感染原因的基础研究，以及影响早产的环境-表观遗传关联。它还强调能力建设，通过培训流行病学、临床结果研究以及社会和行为科学方法和分析方面的调查人员，促进社区参与研究工作；构思和实施在发展、文化和环境方面适合社区参与的战略。NIMHD CoEHDR在VCU健康差异研究中的具体目标是：

The goal of Virginia Common Wealth University's (VCU) National Institute for Minority Health Disparities (NIMHD) Comprehensive Center of Excellence (CoEHDR) for Health Disparities Research application is to bring together the academic and target community in a collaborative research partnership to address Preterm Birth. This renewal application prioritizes fundamental research in race-specific genetic and infectious causes of preterm birth, and environment-epigenetic associations that influence prematurity. It also emphasizes capacity building to promote community participation in the research endeavor by training investigators in epidemiology, clinical outcomes research, and social and behavioral science methods and analyses; conceptualizing and implementing strategies that are developmentally, culturally and environmentally appropriate in engaging community participation. Specific aims of the NIMHD CoEHDR in Health Disparities Research at VCU are: Aim 1: Expand and strengthen the existing community partnership to include participation in preterm birth related research. The community outreach core will coordinate institutional community outreach activities with the research and research training cores. Aim 2: Conduct inter-disciplinary, fundamental and epidemiological research that will advance our understanding of the incidence of preterm birth that is a significant racial/ethnic health disparit. Aim 3: Provide research training for medical and graduate students, residents, postdoctoral fellows and faculty to enhance their knowledge and skills for conducting community based participatory research. Health services research related to health disparities training will be integrated into the curriculum of students, residents, and faculty including topics on health services research methods and analyses, community participation, and cultural competency. The center will continue to bring together an interdisciplinary team of social and behavioral scientists, epidemiologists, clinical investigators, basic scientists and educators, and community representatives to work together to consider and apply novel and emerging scientific information, methods, and technologies to research into human health and diseases across specialties, disciplines, and communities.