Community Engagement Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY The Mexican American population is the fastest growing minority group in the US and experiences significant health disparities. However, Mexican Americans are underrepresented in biomedical research, and the population has barely benefited from the exponential growth of genetic and genomic research that has taken place in recent decades. It is critical that genomic literacy and participation in genomic research improve if the Mexican American population is to benefit from recent and future advances in genomics and precision medicine. The Community Engagement Core (CEC) of the UTRGV Diversity Center for Genome Research is designed to establish new relationships and extend existing relationships with community members and community-based organizations in order to 1) address community-wide health concerns, 2) promote participation in genomic research, and 3) disseminate genomic research findings. The CEC will work closely with each of the other components of the Center to maximize opportunities for engagement with the community. The CEC will build on established networks of interaction and trust in the local community that have been developed over many years by Center investigators through both research and health care delivery efforts. Through a range of activities, the Core will enhance research capacity by improving participation and retention of Mexican Americans in genomic research projects. The Core will address four Specific Aims: 1) to assess the south Texas community needs for, priorities for, barriers to, and interest in biomedical and genomic research through focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and surveys; 2) to build a network of community contacts and enhance community involvement with the Center to improve partnerships and support the recruitment of Mexican American study participants; 3) to foster communication to enhance dissemination and uptake of research results; and 4) to evaluate the success of the Core, and make adjustments as required to meet community and research needs.