The function of the Administrative Core is to provide administrative support, organization, coordination and efficient management of this Program. Because this Program involves multiple projects, cores, laboratories and investigators, some centralized mechanism to facilitate its smooth operation is absolutely essential. The Administrative Core will be co-directed by Drs. Gregory B. Diette Patrick N. Breysse. Dr. Elizabeth Matsui will support the Program in the role of Pediatric Health Specialist. Dr. Diette also serves as Project Leader of Project 1, while Dr. Breysse leads the Environmental Assessment Core and Dr. Matsui leads Project 2. Together they will be responsible for evaluating the progress and overall administration of the entire Program and its individual projects. The major responsibility of the Administrative Core is to ensure that the combined research and support activities contained in this application marshal their collective efforts to produce a body of science that is greater than the sum of the individual components. The most important function of the Core is to facilitate project and core interaction, coordination, and integration within the mission and theme of the ASTHMA-DIET program. The ASTHMA-DIET key personnel are associated with the Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics. The Core will coordinate the inter-project and inter-departmental collaborative arrangements and develop new arrangements as deemed necessary for the scientific progress of the Program as a whole. The Administrative Core will also provide the Projects and Cores with a periodic review of all expenditures and liaise with University Accounting and Grants administrative offices regarding grant budgets. The administrative support provided by the Administrative Core will be responsible for organizing various weekly meetings and seminars as well as the meetings of the Internal and External Advisory Committees and the Community Advisory Board. The overall goals of the Administrative Core are to ensure completion of the proposed research, training and outreach activities, and facilitate interaction and information exchange within and outside the Program.
While asthma is more common and more burdensome in inner city minority children, the reasons for this major health disparity are not completely understood. A diet that is low in fruits, vegetables and dairy, as well as high in meat, junk food and sugary drinks is suspected to increase the vulnerability of children to the effects of airborne allergens and pollutants. Our Center intends to examine the extent to which the poor quality inner city diet may leave children more vulnerable to airborne dust particles, gases and mouse allergen. We expect our findings will lead to practical recommendations to improve the inner city diet.
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