There are many Centers associated with HBHE and its faculty, and it is safe to say there is a lot of exciting, innovative, and important work going on to improve health and make communities healthier. Whether you worked with one of these Centers at HBHE or they are new to you, here’s a brief introduction to four of them:
- Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture, and Health (CRECH)
- Prevention Research Center of Michigan (PRC/MI)
- Center for Sexuality & Health Disparities (SexLab)
- Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center (Detroit URC)
CRECH: Still Hard at Work Improving Health Disparities
What does CRECH do?
The Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture, and Health (CRECH) has worked to improve, expand, and strengthen the proud tradition of research and education in raising awareness and addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health for the past 15 years. “The role of academic public health is to provide U.S. policy leaders with a blueprint of how to improve our public health statistics so that the current gap in racial and ethnic health status is reduced and remains low to nonexistent,” stated Sherman James, the founder of CRECH.
What are some of CRECH’s current projects?
CRECH has many ongoing studies in Detroit, Flint, and Genesee County including CRECH Director and Associate Professor of HBHE Cleopatra Howard Caldwell’s studies on Fathers and Sons. These studies use Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles to strengthen father-son bonds, assess policy’s role in fathering responsibilities, and use father-son relationships to encourage African Ame
rican fathers and sons to become more physically active and to improve their nutritional habits. Dr. Caldwell also collaborates with Dawn Misra (PI), from Wayne State University, on the Impact of Racism on Preterm Birth in Black Women Study to bring a fatherhood focus into the health disparities discourse in the birth outcomes area.
Dr. Harold Neighbors, Professor of HBHE and Program Director of CRECH’s Promoting Ethnic Diversity in Public Health Research, is currently focusing on understanding why Black men are reluctant to talk about personal feelings of depression. With colleagues Daphne Watkins and Wayne McCullough, Dr. Neighbors is conducting a four-city focus group study of Black men titled, Man Up Man Down. The title is based on Neighbors’ prior research revealing the tendency of Black men to think they must "man up" (handle problems alone) to stressful situations, which can result in becoming overwhelmed and "going down" with depression. The study is dedicated to overcoming the personal and structural barriers for Black men in seeking professional help for depression.
Opportunities for HBHE students and alumni involvement
CRECH is an “intellectual home” to graduate students and young investigators who represent varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds. “We place a heavy emphasis on mentorship at CRECH by matching doctoral students with faculty willing to spend quality time with them,” said Dr. Neighbors. Over the years, this program has provided educational training through a doctoral seminar (HBHE 702), a sponsored speaker series, and financial support for 33 students who have successfully completed their doctoral studies in public health. There are currently 21 CRECH scholars in the program. CRECH also administers the Paul D. Cornely Postdoctoral Fellowship Program which provides two-year mentored fellowships in health disparities research for junior scholars with PhD’s or equivalent degrees. More than 16 scholars have completed this program, with two scholars currently in residence.
Hear from an HBHE student: Jamila Kwarteng
Jamila Kwarteng, MS, is a current HBHE doctoral student (expected graduation, 2014) and a CRECH scholar who is working closely with her mentor, Amy Schulz, Professor of HBHE and Associate Director of CRECH. Jamila’s dissertation research examines how exposure to chronic stressors, such as perceived discrimination and financial vulnerability, are associated with increases in central adiposity over time. She believes that a better understanding of these social environmental characteristics can help public health professionals advocate for policy change to reduce stressors in populations at high risk for becoming obese. Her work on a recent study which was featured in Reuters Health examined the condition of sidewalks in poor and middle-class neighborhoods in Detroit. She found that better sidewalk conditions were associated with increases in physical activity among women and men of varying socioeconomic statuses.
Learn more about CRECH
PRC: Empowering Change Through Positive Youth Development
What does the PRC do?
The Prevention Research Center of Michigan (PRC/MI), based at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, was established in 1998 and is one of 37 centers nationwide funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The PRC/MI conducts prevention research to improve health and prevent disease with a focus on populations with a disproportionate share of poor health outcomes. Our research builds on principles and theories of positive youth development, resiliency, and community empowerment and encompasses a range of public health issues including positive youth development, violence prevention, HIV and sexually transmitted infections, obesity, drug and alcohol use and infant mortality.
Where does the PRC work?
We have been working in Michigan communities including Flint and Genesee County for over 15 years, and have developed strong and committed partnerships among community-based organizations, the county health department, health advocacy groups, health service providers, and academic institutions.
Opportunities for HBHE student and alumni involvement
In addition to our research mission, we provide training and mentoring to students from a variety of backgrounds through internships, independent study, fellowships and research assistant positions. Since 2000, the Prevention Research Center of Michigan has trained over 150 undergraduate, masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral students/fellowship students. Students come from many disciplines and departments, including many from Health Behavior and Health Education Department. Students who work at the PRC/MI gain skills in program planning and evaluation, data analysis, program implementation, GIS mapping, as well as the principles of community based participatory research.
Hear from an HBHE Alumni: Allison Krusky
Allison Krusky, RD, is a research associate in the Prevention Research Center of Michigan (PRC/MI) and the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center (MI-YVPC). She worked in the PRC during her HBHE internship, and became staff after graduation. She works closely with Tom Reischl, the Evaluation Director of both the PRC and MI-YVPC, to conduct process and outcome evaluation. She is involved in three projects ranging from health equity to violence prevention to child health. As a research associate, Krusky’s position changes to meet the needs of the project. The variety of projects fuels Krusky’s desire to learn more about the ever-growing realm of public health and to further develop skills to contribute to the success of the PRC/MI and MI-YVPC. She is grateful for her degree in HBHE that provided her with the evaluation and management skills needed to work for both centers.
Learn more about the PRC
SexLab: Promoting Sexual Health Through Innovation
What does SexLab do?
The Center for Sexuality & Health Disparities (SexLab) conducts applied social research on sexuality-related health disparities. Our studies seek to identify innovative strategies to inform sexual health promotion interventions, including the prevention of HIV/STI infection and transmission, and to decrease other sexuality-related health disparities.
Where does SexLab work?
In 2010, the SexLab formed an academic-community partnership with four non-profit agencies serving LGBTQ populations throughout Southeast Michigan. The UHIP Partnership (United for HIV Integration and Policy) includes the HIV/AIDS Resource Center (HARC), AIDS Partnership Michigan, the Ruth Ellis Center, and Detroit Latin@z. As this partnership has grown, the SexLab has simultaneously become increasingly committed to conducting community-based research in our region, with an emphasis on examining the structural determinants of health particular to LGBTQ communities in Southeast Michigan.
Opportunities for HBHE student and alumni involvement
Drs. Jose Bauermeister and Gary Harper, both HBHE faculty, act as the Lab’s principal investigators. Each has extensive experience conducting research with LGBTQ populations and developing culturally appropriate sexual health interventions. The SexLab’s managing director, Emily Pingel, communications director, Laura Jadwin-Cakmak, and quantitative analyst, Steven Meanley, are all graduates of HBHE’s MPH program. SexLab also offers opportunities for University of Michigan students to foster and apply research skills specific to sexuality research and to advance their knowledge of sexual health. We currently support thirteen HBHE graduate students, including four PhD students.
Hear from a HBHE alumni: Emily Pingel
Emily Pingel is the managing director of the Center for Sexuality & Health Disparities (SexLab). Her graduation from HBHE in 2009 coincided with the return of Dr. Jose Bauermeister to the University of Michigan School of Public Health after having completed his post-doc at Columbia University. Recognizing their mutual research interests, Dr. Bauermeister invited Pingel to join the newly formed SexLab. As managing director, Pingel oversees the everyday operations of the Lab, which includes the training and supervision of students and the coordination of all research activities. She is a specialist in qualitative methods and feels grateful to have had multiple opportunities through the SexLab to pursue her academic interests and conduct community-based research.
Learn more about SexLab
Detroit URC: Fostering Community-Based Participatory Research
What does the URC do?
The Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center (Detroit URC) is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership that has been conducting research and interventions to promote health equity in the city of Detroit for more than 18 years. An internationally recognized leader in CBPR, the Detroit URC brings together Detroit community-based organizations (CBO), Detroit health and human services providers, and academic researchers from the University of Michigan to better understand the social determinants of health and translate that knowledge into public health interventions, programs and policies. The Detroit URC addresses public health issues such as environmental triggers of childhood asthma, diabetes maintenance and prevention, intimate partner violence, social and physical determinants of cardiovascular disease, access to fresh food, places to be physically active and health literacy.
Who does the URC work with?
With the interest in CBPR growing, the Detroit URC has focused part of its efforts over the past few years on expanding the number of new collaborative research partnerships taking place in Detroit. As part of this effort, the Detroit URC created a Community-Academic Research Network (CAR-Network) made up of CBOs and academic researchers interested in conducting collaborative research in Detroit. CAR-Network members have profiles on the Detroit URC website and are able to connect with each other based on their research interests.
Opportunities for HBHE student and alumni involvement:
A CAR-Network newsletter is distributed quarterly that includes updates, funding opportunities and valuable CBPR resources. Additionally, the Detroit URC offers a Small Planning Grant Program to support new and emerging collaborative research partnerships in Detroit. The center also created a research capacity building workshop tailored specifically toward CBOs that want to enhance their capacity to engage as equal partners in research efforts.
Public health professionals and UM alumni who are interested in engaging in collaborative research or who may want to use these resources as a model are welcome to view and learn about them on the Detroit URC website
Learn more about the URC
www.facebook.com/detroiturc
Did you work at a Center as a student? Or do you collaborate with them now? Leave a comment below!
Did you work at a Center as a student? Or do you collaborate with them now? Leave a comment below!
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