Research Core

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The purpose of our integrated research core and project components is to reduce health disparities, which disproportionately affect women, minorities, and low-income individuals. Our projects and research core components are guided by research principles derived from community-based participatory research (CBPR) and translational research. In the present proposal we will focus on problems related directly to women's health disparities, by presenting three projects of significant importance for women in the United States, HIV/AIDS, Breast Cancer, and Obesity: Project 1: Dr. Anuja Ghorpade, PI.' Health Disparities & sCD40L: Novel Biomarkers for HIV-1 Disease Progression. This project will study the levels of soluble CD40L as a prognostic biomarker for HIV/AIDS disease progression in the context of race and gender. Project 2: Dr. JK Vishwanatha, PI. Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Novel Biomarkers and Therapeutic Strategies. In this project the expression characteristics of Annexin A2 will be linked to the evolution of triplenegative breast cancer in African-American women. Project 3: Dr. Mark J. DeHaven, PI. Reducing Obesity in African American Women through Lifestyle Enhancement. This project will evaluate a means for reducing weight among African-American women through a CBPR partnership with African-American congregations. The integrated specific aims are to: 1) Develop an integrated platform and structure for addressing significant health problems related to Women's Health Disparities; 2) Perform high-quality research in Women's Health Disparities in the areas of HIV/AIDS, Breast Cancer, and Obesity in a way that will reduce prevalent health disparities; 3) Provide research opportunities for under-represented minority students (URM) and faculty to participate in meaningful research designed to eliminate Women's Health Disparities, through collaboration between the Research Core and the Education/Training Core; 4) Enhance communitybased participation in Women's Health Disparities research through collaboration between the Research Core and the Community Outreach Core; and, 5) Characterize biomarkers and/or risk factors for future therapeutic avenues with a specific emphasis on Women's Health Disparities.