Translational Health Research Continuum
The Center's internal organization structure is defined by two-program areas—Health Services Research and Community Partnerships—that span the population health continuum.
This continuum reflects the National Institutes of Health's recent focus on conducting translational research that transforms and applies the outcomes of scientific studies from "bench" to "bedside" to directly benefit the community.
The Center provides an environment to conduct translational research by supporting both academic health researchers and health care providers in applying research results to clinical practices. In addition, the Center's involvement in community-based participatory research projects provides a unique opportunity to translate what is learned from the community about their health needs to investigators' conducting "bench" research.
Taking the lead in community engagement for the Center is the Community Partnerships Initiatives or CPI team.
Goals
The Center's Community Partnership Initiative (CPI) team seeks to strengthen and expand community partnerships that lead to the development of community-based research including community-based participatory and translational research.
Aims
The CPI team works to accomplish six overarching aims that support the Center's strategic plan and provide a framework for developing new projects and relationships.
- Establish connections and develop equitable community-academic partnerships with organizations that have a major potential for
- sustainability, and
- translation of research findings into practice, policy and community interventions.
- Conduct community-based research, document health outcomes and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions by using a broad range of methodologies.
- Assess urban population health needs including behavioral, environmental and social determinants and assess health risk factors in individuals and populations that will lead to improvements in overall community health outcomes.
- Provide access and dissemination of user-friendly population health data to the community, stakeholders and researchers.
- Build the capacity of community organizations through innovative partnerships, technical support and training.
- Foster two-way translation (from the community to the Center and back again) and provide a connection between community partners and researchers.
