Core C: Vulnerable Populations Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The COBRE for Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR) will establish a transformative, transdisciplinary Miriam Hospital research center focused on the biobehavioral mechanisms through which childhood stress, trauma, and adversity impact health outcomes across development. Childhood adversity is a major risk factor for physical and mental health problems across the lifespan, yet those with adverse exposures are highly likely to be underserved due to socioeconomic position. Children and adults from disadvantaged backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, individuals living in poverty, and sexual minority and gender diverse populations are at substantially heightened risk of exposure to adversity. Further, although disadvantaged communities are most likely to experience adversity and trauma, they are often difficult to reach and engage in research as a result of societal discrimination, medical mistrust, marginalization, stigma, and economic and structural factors. Specialized infrastructure to address the practical, ethical, and clinical issues in research with vulnerable and underserved populations is critical for long-term success of the STAR COBRE. The Human Subjects and Vulnerable Populations (VP) Core will support the overall goals of the STAR COBRE by building critical infrastructure to support clinically significant and highly innovative research with vulnerable children and adults with stress and trauma histories. In addition, because all three proposed research projects in this COBRE include data and biospecimens from human subjects, the VP Core will serve as a recommended hub for documentation and training related to human subjects’ protection for all components of the COBRE (PAR-19-313). The VP Core will provide resources and support targeted to developing capacity to successfully recruit and retain difficult to reach populations, while maintaining to standards in the ethical conduct of research with children and adults with stress and trauma histories. The VP Core will also provide support to enhance existing and build new community partnerships, and to increase competence of COBRE faculty and staff regarding issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The VP Core will be essential to the overall success of the STAR COBRE by providing critical expertise, services, and infrastructure to support clinically significant and highly innovative research with vulnerable children and adults with stress and trauma histories.