Community Engagement is viewed and institutionalized as a central part of Morehouse School of Medicine?s research portfolio. The institution is building on a long history and social mission of primary care and outreach to disenfranchised community residents, within the city of Atlanta and throughout the state of Georgia. Given this history, we have many community partnerships with local agencies and community based organizations that have been engaged in projects of mutual benefit. The Prevention Research Center (PRC) has one of the longest standing community coalitions board (CCB) which was launched in 1999. The PRC?s CCB will have an integral role in the proposed RCMI. The PRC will deploy its research review committee (RRC) comprised of lay citizens to interface with the five research project personnel and the other core personnel identified within this application. The Community Engagement Core (CEC) will serve as the host for numerous CE activities including student research mentoring, community forums, topical workshops and an IRB- like community review process of providing review and oversight of the planned research agenda. For the two RO1-like projects two project specific patient and family advisory committees (PFAC) will be established during the first quarter of year 01 to further assist these projects with trouble-shooting implementation issues throughout the life of the project. Leadership for the CEC will be provided by Ronald Braithwaite, Ph.D. He is an internationally recognized scholar in community based participatory research (CBPR) methods and health equity research. He will be assisted by Natalie Hernandez, Ph.D., an emerging scholar with a strong track record in maternal health and health equity research; and Ms. Adrienne Proeller, a community health worker with strong ties to Atlanta communities. She knows how to pound the pavement and make things happen with her ?Boots on the Ground? approach. A CEC logic model will be developed during the first month of project implementation to identify short, intermediate and long term objectives consistent with the specific aims of the Core. The logic model will also identify key formative and summative evaluation questions to be used as a yardstick to measure CE successes and failures. The objectives of the CEC will be accomplished through these four specific aims:
AIM 1. Transform Our Institution. To enhance the Prevention Research Center (PRC) review committee process wherein community consumers exercise input and review and oversight of the research projects.
AIM 2. Transform the MSM Research Environment. Further develop, assist and promote technical assistance to the three research projects and pilot studies as it relates to community engagement.
AIM 3. Transform the Community of Scientists. Develop the capacity among the research study projects to interface with community consumers in a genuine and meaningful manner.
AIM 4. Transform Our Community. Serve as a facilitating bridge between the research projects and community participants by sponsoring topical workshops, community forums and community driven special events that brings entities of the ?Town and Gown? together to address compelling health issues through collaborative discourse.
| Hu, Guoku; Yelamanchili, Sowmya; Kashanchi, Fatah et al. (2017) Proceedings of the 2017 ISEV symposium on ""HIV, NeuroHIV, drug abuse, & EVs"". J Neurovirol 23:935-940 |
